🧠 OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s Brain-Tech Startup

Today’s Highlights:

• 🧠 OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s Brain-Tech Startup

• ⚙️ US Slaps 25% Tariff on Nvidia’s H200 Chips

• 🔁 Thinking Machines Loses Co-Founders to OpenAI

• 🎓 Microsoft Offers Free AI Training for Schools

• 💡 Replit Launches “Vibe” to Code from Plain English

• 🎬 Higgsfield Hits $1.3B Valuation to Power AI Video

• 🏭 Tulip Raises $120M for “Human-Centric” Factory Software

• 💰 TSMC Breaks Records as AI Chip Demand Soars

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LATEST AI NEWS

OPENAI

🧠 OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s Brain-Tech Startup

OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a new brain–computer interface startup founded by its own CEO, Sam Altman, deepening OpenAI’s push into human–AI integration.

The Details:

• Merge Labs emerged from stealth with a $250M seed round at an $850M valuation, with OpenAI writing the largest check

• The startup is building non-invasive BCIs that aim to interface with neurons using molecules and ultrasound instead of electrodes

• OpenAI will collaborate with Merge Labs on scientific foundation models and frontier research tools

• The effort positions Merge against rivals like Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, which relies on invasive implants

• Merge’s leadership overlaps with other Altman-backed ventures, raising questions about circular incentives

Why it matters:

This is more than an investment. It’s a signal that OpenAI sees brain–computer interfaces as a long-term path toward tighter human–AI coupling. If successful, Merge Labs could turn AI from something we use into something we literally think with, blurring the line between software, hardware, and human cognition.

NVIDIA

⚙️ US Slaps 25% Tariff on Nvidia’s H200 Chips

The US has officially imposed tariffs on a slice of advanced AI hardware, tightening control over how high-end chips move through global supply chains, especially toward China.

The Details:

• President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing a 25% tariff on advanced AI chips made outside the US and routed through the US for export

• The measure covers Nvidia’s H200 AI chips and similar products like the MI325X from AMD

• The tariff aligns with the Commerce Department’s decision to allow Nvidia to ship H200 chips to vetted customers in China

• Nvidia publicly welcomed the move, saying it supports US jobs while allowing American chipmakers to compete globally

• Chips imported into the US for domestic research, defense, or commercial use are excluded from the tariff

Why it matters:

This policy threads a narrow needle. The US is signaling tougher oversight on AI hardware exports without fully cutting off demand from China. As AI chips become strategic assets, tariffs are emerging as another lever in the broader tech and geopolitical contest.

THINKING MACHINES & OPENAI

🔁 Thinking Machines Loses Co-Founders to OpenAI

Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is losing key leadership as two co-founders and an early researcher head back to OpenAI.

The Details:

• Co-founder and CTO Barret Zoph has exited Thinking Machines and rejoined OpenAI, confirmed shortly after Murati’s announcement

• Fellow co-founder Luke Metz and researcher Sam Schoenholz are also returning to OpenAI

• Soumith Chintala has been appointed as the new CTO of Thinking Machines

• The startup raised a massive $2B seed round last year at a $12B valuation, backed by a16z, Nvidia, AMD, Accel, and others

• Reports suggest the split with Zoph may not have been amicable, adding to leadership instability

Why it matters:

If successful, OpenAI’s 2028 milestone could mark a turning point for science itself. Autonomous AI researchers would not just assist — they’d create, accelerating discovery in ways that could reshape entire industries.

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MORE AI & TECH NEWS

• Microsoft released a no-cost training course to help educators and students use tools like Copilot. The 4-part program simplifies AI concepts to support safe, affordable classroom adoption.

• Chipmaker TSMC reported record profits as global AI hardware demand skyrockets. The company is investing billions into new plants in the U.S. and Taiwan to meet demand.

• Tulip secured $120M to build tools that help factory workers solve problems with real-time data. The software boosts human performance instead of replacing people with robots.

• OpenAI is urging U.S. companies to manufacture AI infrastructure parts like cooling systems and power cables. The goal is to localize production, create jobs, and speed up AI growth.

• AI video startup Higgsfield raised $80M, pushing its valuation to $1.3 billion, as demand grows for studio‑quality marketing videos made without full production teams.

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