The big reveal was a tiny microchip that could theoretically be implanted behind a person's ear and connected to the brain via tiny threads containing electrodes.
The idea isn't new.
Scientists have already developed devices capable of both interpreting and stimulating brain activity. In 2012, paralyzed patients were able to control a robotic arm, which was a memorable demonstration of the technology.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, is unwilling to limit himself to what is already possible. In classic fashion, he stated that, in addition to treating neural conditions such as Parkinson's, he hopes that Neuralink will one day facilitate a "symbiosis" between humans and AI. He also announced that Neuralink had successfully trained a monkey to "control a computer with its brain," and that the company hopes to begin human testing "before the end of next year."
Business Insider spoke with two neuroscientists to separate fact from fiction.
"There are definitely some bombastic points in the announcement, as well as some much more realistic aspects," said Andrew Hires, an assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of California. He left Neuralink's presentation with the impression that Neuralink had significantly improved on existing technologies in three ways.
Floppy wires might travel across the brain without causing any harm.
Because of how floppy the cables on Neuralink's proposed gadget are, Hires believes they might progress the field. "The use of these flexible cables is a huge innovation, especially if they're attempting to get it into customers," Hires said. Each cable is slightly thinner than a human hair and contains electrodes that can detect and, potentially, trigger brain activity.
"Stiff wires in the brain inflict a lot of harm because the brain may move about," Hires explained, adding that a living brain is very delicate, much softer than examples in jars stiffened with formaldehyde. "It's a lot softer than jelly," he added. Floppy wires, such as the ones proposed by Neuralink, may be a preferable choice for any device that will spend a long time lodged in someone's brain since they are less likely to inflame or harm the tissue.
This isn't a new technology, but it's new enough that we're not sure if these cables will endure more than a couple of years. "The technology has just been around for a year or two. It's possible that these flexible cables are less trustworthy, less strong, and will eventually break,"Hires stated.
According to Dr. Rylee Green of Imperial College London, the substance utilized to manufacture the threads is a standard polymer in the area. She also saw that the electrodes are made of gold, which she refers to as "research-level technology," rather than being ready to be implanted into people's brains.
Both Hires and Green were wary of Elon Musk's claimed goal of using Neuralink to augment human consciousness with artificial intelligence. Hires, on the other hand, did not completely rule it out.
"To get to the level of integrating with AI, [Musk] sort of goes off into an aspirational dream world," Hires added. "However, it is difficult to foresee how technology will develop in the next twenty years," he continued.
You must be logged in to post a comment.