Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp. has completed its first brain implant on a human, marking a significant step toward the billionaire’s aim of one day allowing people to control computers with their minds. For the first time, Elon Musk has given the implant device a name.
Here’s everything you need to know about Neuralink and its first human trial:
What is Neuralink?
Elon Musk created Neuralink, a business, in 2017. It is attempting to create a brain-computer interface that will allow those who have suffered catastrophic injuries to operate phones and computers solely through thought. To accomplish this, it is working on inserting electrodes into people’s brains.
That sounds scary. Has this been done before?
Yes. Neuralink is based on decades of technology targeted at implanting electrodes in human brains to interpret impulses and treat illnesses like paralysis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. The Utah array, an early technology, was first exhibited in a human in 2004. Many competitors have entered the market, including Synchron and Precision Neuroscience.
Is this legal?
In May of last year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Neuralink for clinical testing on humans, following a series of implant trials on diverse animals. The firm was extensively condemned for its surgical work in animals, notably primates, by groups such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which claimed Neuralink mishandled many of those procedures.
What is unique about the Neuralink device?
The Neuralink gadget has over 1,000 electrodes, significantly more than existing implants. It targets single neurons, whereas many other devices in development target signals from clusters of neurons. If it works, it should allow for more precise measurements.
How does it function exactly?
The implant inserts a chip and other devices into the user’s skull, with wireless connections transmitting brain signal data to a Neuralink app, which decodes it into actions and intentions. Charging is also wireless. Neuralink created a custom surgical robot to execute the implant process.
What do Elon Musk and Neuralink want to achieve with brain chips?
Neuralink’s initial goal is to assist crippled individuals. Musk believes his technology will eventually be able to treat those with hearing and vision loss. The entrepreneur has stated that he hopes the implant would one day be used to achieve futuristic aims such as assisting humans in merging with artificial intelligence.
What is this device called?
Elon Musk announced in a social media post on Monday that the device would be dubbed Telepathy.
What will happen in Neuralink’s initial human brain trial?
This study is meant to assist the corporation in determining the best design for its product. Last year, Neuralink stated that it would execute 11 procedures this year, albeit previous projections have been unduly optimistic.
How long will this study take?
Typically, this type of study includes 5-10 individuals and lasts up to a year. The following step is a feasibility study, followed by a pivotal study, which is roughly equivalent to a Phase III drug study. If all goes well, it will most likely take between five and ten years before commercialization.
