OpenAI Invests in Startup That Uses Brain Implants to Detect Cancer
It’s the latest in a growing wave of bets that AI companies are making on brain data.
OpenAI has injected seed funding into Coherence, a startup developing brain implants to detect cancer. This investment is part of a $45 million round, highlighting the growing interest from big tech in brain data. Coherence's CEO, Ben Woodington, believes there's significant potential in leveraging AI to analyze brain data for better models and treatments.
The AI lab sees brain-computer interfaces as a perfect match, as they generate vast datasets that are beyond human analysis. Earlier this year, OpenAI directly invested in another brain-computer interface company, Merge Labs, co-founded by its CEO Sam Altman. Merge Labs is developing ultrasound technology to decode brain information.
OpenAI's interest in brain data is also evident in its partnerships with other companies like Neuralink and CTRL-labs. Coherence, based in San Francisco, is focusing on decoding subtle electrical signals linked to brain tumors. The company has already demonstrated this in animals and is now testing the implant in humans during brain tumor surgery.
The implant could eventually emit mild electrical stimulation to stop tumor growth, with the goal of translating these findings into clinical trials for glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive brain cancer. OpenAI's investment in Coherence is separate from its partnership with Merge Labs, with the latter not having access to any data generated by the startup.
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