Neuralink Corporation is an American neurotechnology company developing implantable brain-machine interfaces.
You would think this is straight out of science fiction, but mark my words that in our lifetime, we could all be operating digital Neuralink devices from our heads if Musk gets his way.
And he often does get his way.
Scary as it seems now, this will probably be the first of many artificial intelligence procedures to infuse humans with layers of artificial intelligence.
Musk believes humans will go the way of robot hybrid in the future because the natural development of competition is trending in that way and sadly, this direction in humanity is ultimately existential for every one of us.
Improvements in technology will periodically be announced and iterations will need to be adopted because software is upgraded.
As for today and now, testing on pigs has segued into testing on monkeys.
Pending FDA approval, Musk hopes to start testing Neuralink on humans with severe spinal-cord injuries like tetraplegics and quadriplegics in 2023.
Neuralink’s dramatically simplified design for an implant that hopes to create brain-to-machine interfaces is a big deal and partly because of the star power backing the project that can literally move mountains.
The previous design consisted of a bean-shaped device that would sit behind the ear, but now it is the size of a large coin, and it goes in your skull.
I expect the final iteration to be a millimeter wide.
The in-brain device could enable humans with neurological conditions to control technology, such as phones or computers, with mere thoughts.
The other use case is solving neurological disorders from memory, hearing loss, and blindness to paralysis, depression, and brain damage which is a tad more altruistic.
The current prototype – referred to as version 0.9 – measures 23 millimeters by eight millimeters and has 1024 electrode "threads" attached to it that are implanted into the brain.
It is designed to replace a coin-sized portion of the skull and sit flush so it would be physically unnoticeable. It would be inductively charged the same way you would wirelessly charge a smartwatch or a phone.
The surgical robot, which is programmed to insert the neural threads safely into the brain, was done by US design company Woke Studios.
Woke Studio’s robot would be able to insert the link in under an hour without general anesthesia, with the patient able to leave the hospital right away.
The robot will eventually do the entire surgery – so everything from the incision, removing the skull, inserting electrodes, placing the device, and then closing things up.
It will be completely automated.
In 2021, humans still need to digest thoughts and carry out functions through actionable fingers into a phone interface.
Not only will physical devices be useless at that point, but they will also spawn a mega cloud storage business that is hooked straight to the mind.
It really is a gigantic step that will digitize, even if marginally ethical, and computerize humans.
Lately, reports in 2022 show that Neuralink killed eight monkeys during research experiments at UC Davis labs in California.
Neuralink has since denied accusations of animal cruelty and moved lab experiments to Fremont, California.
However, a recently filed lawsuit by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) follows up with those accusations of animal abuse.
No doubt this will delay any further testing with monkeys and delay the inevitable transition of brain-altered humans.
Musk also got one of his Neuralink executives pregnant and fathered twins.
Who said life was simple!
