Billionaires Bet on Brain-Computer Interfaces as Next Digital Frontier

Elon Musk's Neuralink and Sam Altman-backed Merge Labs are spearheading a surge of billionaire investments in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. While current applications remain medically focused—with only five Neuralink patients implanted as of September 2025—the broader vision positions BCIs as the next computing platform. The race to control the interface between human cognition and digital systems has drawn parallels to tech's platform wars, with billionaires viewing BCIs as both an AI hedge and a future revenue pillar.

Medical experts caution that BCI capabilities are often overstated, emphasizing today's therapeutic use cases over speculative "thought reading" applications. The influx of high-profile capital risks distorting public perception, though industry insiders acknowledge it accelerates research. "This elevates the whole industry," one founder told Decrypt, while noting the tension between near-term medical needs and long-term commercial ambitions.