Let’s talk about Elon Musk. He put up a post a few hours ago on Twitter, now known as X, and this is what he said: “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” For the uninitiated, here’s what it means: Elon Musk has just put a computer chip in a human brain.
His startup, Neuralink, has started human trials. Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016. Eight years later, they have their first human test subject. This is a big milestone. It will allow us to see proof of concept. And what is the concept? A brain-computer interface, or BCI, is a technology that will allow people to control machines with their thoughts. Musk had a follow-up post. He says the first product is called telepathy. It will allow you to control your phone or computer just by thinking. And through them, you can control other devices. If it works, it could be a game-changer, especially for people with some form of paralysis.
They could benefit immensely from a technology like this. Musk says they will be the first recipients. Here’s what he wrote, and I’m quoting: “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal.” It’s an ambitious dream. But how does the technology work? Let me take you through what we know so far. A computer chip and other electronics will be inserted into the brain. This is the link in Neuralink. It’s reportedly about the size of a few coins. The chip will be battery-operated. It can be charged wirelessly, so there is no need to worry about replacing it, which would be hard anyway because it will be inserted directly into the brain, so replacement would be a problem.
And this insertion will happen with a special surgical robot. They will put this chip into your brain. Yes, a robot, not a trained neurosurgeon. This is because one part of the link has wires directly hooked up to your brain. It is so intricate that apparently it cannot be done by humans, so you need a robot to do it. These wires, or threads, monitor your brain activity. They will read your thoughts and pass them onto the chip. The chip will then send a signal to an app on your phone or computer. That is how the setup works. It may sound complicated, but it’s not exactly revolutionary. The first device like this came out all the way back in 2004. There are other companies that have been doing this, working on the brain-computer interface for years to get your brain to talk directly to a computer and get machines moving. Older devices let people control a robotic limb with their minds. So it has been done before. Then what makes Neuralink special? The sheer volume of brain signals that it wants to capture—that’s what’s special. The other brain chips that exist are slower. They may not allow for what Elon Musk wants to do, because helping people without limbs is just the beginning.
He eventually wants an advanced brain-to-computer interface. Imagine driving a smart car with just your thoughts, playing video games with your mind, or accessing all the information on the internet through your brain. The possibilities are endless. There’s a reason Musk is calling this first product telepathy. It sets the tone for what is to come. Eventually, we could reach new heights of human capabilities—humans augmented with machine parts that are mind-controlled, like a cyborg in a sci-fi movie. But of course, there are drawbacks and threats, too. Like almost every new technology, this, too, will be open to abuse. Imagine someone hacking your brain chip, reading your thoughts, and controlling your robotic limbs. It’s a terrifying prospect, and someone will likely manage to do it, so we need to be cautious. Guard against the potential risks while exploring the potential benefits. Such brain chips may help millions of people, and Elon Musk’s company has taken a crucial step towards this. Now we wait and watch. We see how the human test subject reacts to the Neuralink chip. The next few weeks will tell us how far along the technology is and how long until you get such a chip in stores near you.
