The escalating feud between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his arch nemesis, Elon Musk, may soon escalate with news that the former is starting a rival brain-computer interface (BCI) company.

As the Financial Times reports, OpenAI is weighing a major investment in Merge Labs, a BCI startup seeking to become the latest Neuralink competitor by achieving $850 million valuation with the help of the company's ventures team and other interested parties.

According to three insiders with knowledge of the potential plans, who were not named in FT so they could speak freely, Altman is slated to assist in launching Merge Labs with Alex Bania, the CEO and cofounder of the controversial eyeball-scanning crypto venture World.

Though Altman will be named a cofounder of Merge Labs, the OpenAI CEO will not b

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