Sam Altman Invests in Wild Plan to Read Your Brain With Sound Waves Sam Altman, the prominent figure behind OpenAI, is now channeling his resources and influence into a new and startling biomedical venture. The goal is as ambitious as it sounds, to develop a non-invasive method for reading human brain activity using sound waves. This move signals a significant expansion of Altman’s interests beyond artificial intelligence and into the direct interface between biology and technology. The startup, reportedly named Retro Biosciences, is focused on extending human lifespan. This new brain-reading project appears to be a part of that broader mission. The technology being explored is based on functional ultrasound, a method that could theoretically decode brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow with much higher resolution than older methods like fMRI, all without requiring surgery. This initiative takes on a deeper meaning when considering Altman’s past statements. He has publicly expressed a desire for a more seamless form of communication with AI, once stating that he would like to be able to think something and have ChatGPT respond to it. This new investment can be seen as a direct attempt to build the foundational technology that could make that sci-fi vision a reality. It is a step towards a true brain-computer interface. For the crypto and Web3 community, this development is particularly resonant. The core principles of Web3 revolve around decentralization, user sovereignty, and data ownership. The concept of a technology that can read brainwaves immediately raises profound questions about the future of personal data. Brain data would represent the ultimate private information, the very source of an individual’s thoughts, intentions, and identity. If such a technology were to succeed, it would create a new category of data that is both incredibly powerful and intensely sensitive. The central question becomes, who controls this data? The potential for misuse is staggering. Without a decentralized framework, this brain data could be controlled by a single corporation, creating an unprecedented level of surveillance and manipulation. It could be used to influence behavior, target advertisements with frightening precision, or even be sold to third parties without user consent. This is where blockchain and crypto-native solutions could become critical. The community is already building the tools for self-sovereign identity and decentralized data storage. Imagine a future where your brain activity data is encrypted and stored on a decentralized network, with access governed by smart contracts that you alone control. You could grant temporary, permissioned access to an AI model like ChatGPT for a specific task without ever relinquishing ownership of the raw data. The path forward is fraught with both ethical and technical challenges. Reading the brain with enough accuracy to decipher complex thoughts is an enormous scientific hurdle. Furthermore, the societal implications demand a robust public conversation about privacy and consent from the very beginning. Altman’s investment makes it clear that the race to bridge the human brain and computers is accelerating, and the crypto world must be prepared to advocate for a future where our mental privacy is non-negotiable and protected by the principles of decentralization.
