Neuralink, the neurotechnology company co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, he implanted his first microchip since human brain. The announcement came via X (formerly Twitter), Musk's favorite communication channel, who shared the enthusiasm for the initial progress: “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is making remarkable progress . Preliminary results show promising neuronal spike detection."
Based in Fremont, California, Neuralink is researching and developing brain implants that connect to a computer, aiming to assist individuals with neurological impairments, such as amniotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson's disease. The company recruited volunteers for clinical trials aimed at testing his device, abrain-computer interface capable of interpreting the electrical activity of neurons and translating it into commands to control external devices through thought. These advances were preceded by a long, and not simple, experimentation on monkeys, demonstrating the possibility of playing Pong without the aid of controllers or keyboards.
How does the Neuralink chip in the brain work?
However, Neuralink's road has not been without challenges and scrutiny, with fines received for violations of regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials and safety investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (US Consob). In the end, the startup got it US Food and Drug Administration approval last May to conduct tests on human subjects, also managing to collect over 320 million dollars to finance its progress. The trial involves patients suffering from tetraplegia and ALS, with a surgical approach that involves the insertion of 64 flexible wires, thinner than a human hair, into a part of the brain responsible for the intention of movement. These wires allow the experimental setup, powered by a rechargeable battery in mode wireless, to record and transmit brain signals to an application that changes the way the person wants to move. According to the company's forecasts, they will be needed six years to complete the study.
Musk's ultimate goal: “A symbiosis with AI”
In addition to medical objectives, Neuralink looks to the future with the ambition of a symbiosis withartificial intelligence. Musk claims that these microchips will not only restore the ability to walk to paralyzed patients, restore sight to the blind, and cure psychiatric illnesses such as depression, but will also enable a advanced communication through brain impulses and information transmissions via Bluetooth. Simply put, Musk imagines that this technology will impact not only the lives of people with physical and sensory disabilities: people will be able to communicate directly with electronic devices through thought, and microchips could facilitate the transmission of data between the human brain and other devices electronic.
In a landscape where companies like Onward and Clinatec are exploring the possibilities of brain implants, Neuralink remains at the center of attention with the ambition of reducing the “risk to our civilization” associated with artificial intelligence and making this technology accessible to all, even if at a high price: the final price for the consumer it is around 40.000 dollars.
