Neuralink implanted a wireless brain chip, according to Elon Musk
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk says he has successfully implanted a wireless brain chip in a human being through his company Neuralink.
Elon Musk said the patient was “recovering well” and that “promising” brain activity had been found following the treatment in a post on X, the previous Twitter platform.
The startup wants to help treat complex neurological diseases by using computers to interface with human brains.
Similar gadgets have already been implanted by other rival companies.
Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe of King’s College London stated, “The first test in humans is a significant milestone for any company producing medical devices.”
In the context of brain chip implants, it is important to remember that while many businesses are developing innovative technologies, very few have actually implanted their devices in humans. Neuralink is thus joining a rather select group of companies.
She did, however, add that care was necessary because “true success” could only be assessed over an extended period of time.
“We know Elon Musk is very adept at generating publicity for his company,” she stated.
The École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, is one of the several businesses to achieve comparable strides in the subject; it has successfully helped a paraplegic man walk simply by thinking.
His brain and spine were implanted with electronic implants to enable wireless thought transmission to his legs and feet.
In May 2023, the peer-reviewed publication Nature released an article detailing the breakthrough.
Mr. Musk’s assertions have not been independently verified, and Neuralink has not disclosed any details regarding the process he claims has occurred.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees medical regulations, as well as Neuralink have been contacted by BBC News for comments.
Testing with Neuralink
Neuralink has faced criticism in the past; in December 2022, Reuters reported that the business conducted tests that led to the deaths of almost 1,500 animals, including pigs, sheep, and monkeys.
The US Department of Agriculture’s chief investigator of animal welfare issues declared in July 2023 that the agency had not discovered any breaches of the company’s regulations pertaining to animal experimentation.
However, the agency is still conducting a different probe.
In May 2023, the FDA approved Mr. Musk’s business to conduct human testing on the chip.
This authorised the initiation of the six-year research project, in which 64 flexible threads—thinner than a human hair—are surgically inserted into a brain region that governs “movement intention” using a robot.
According to the business, these threads enable their experimental implant, which is powered by a wirelessly rechargeable battery, to record and transmit brain impulses to an app that decodes the user’s intended movement.
Professor Tara Spires-Jones, president of the British Neuroscience Association, said, “[It] has great potential to help people with neurological disorders in the future and is an excellent example of how fundamental neuroscience research is being harnessed for medical advances.”
Telepathy
Mr. Musk stated that Telepathy will be the name of Neuralink’s initial product in another post on X.
He said that “control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking” would be possible thanks to telepathy.
“Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs,” he said.
“Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer,” he continued, making reference to the late British scientist who suffered from motor neurone illness. That’s the objective.
Even while Mr. Musk’s cooperation helps Neuralink become more well-known, some of his competitors have experience that goes back twenty years. In 2004, the Utah-based company Blackrock Neurotech implanted the first of several brain-computer interfaces.
One of Neuralink’s co-founders founded Precision Neuroscience with the same goal of aiding paralysed individuals. Furthermore, the implant resembles a very thin piece of tape that rests on the brain’s surface. It claims that implanting it via a “cranial micro-slit” is a far simpler process.
Results have also been produced with current devices. Implants were utilised in two different recent US scientific investigations to track brain activity during speech attempts, which might subsequently be processed to facilitate communication.