Elon Musk announces the first successful human test of Neuralink. What’s behind it, why it took so long until the first test and what exactly he said.
Elon Musk and his company Neuralink want to expand human intelligence with brain chip technology. Now a first step seems to have been successful. (Image: Dalle 3 / OpenAI)
It only takes two sentences from Elon Musk and the internet explodes. “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” Musk made this post yesterday on his messaging service X (formerly Twitter). As of January 31st The post was viewed almost 50 million times. But what is behind the post?
What is Neuralink and what are Elon Musk’s goals with it?
Neuralink, a company owned by Elon Musk, aims to develop a brain-computer interface (BCI). This technology is intended to make it possible to connect human consciousness with computers and the Internet to restore the motor functions of physically disabled people and improve their communication skills. Musk himself plans to one day receive such an implant in order to fully exploit its potential.
The Neuralink’s first product will be appropriately named Telepathy. According to one another post from Musk It is intended to “make it possible to control your phone or computer and therefore almost all devices by simply thinking.” The first users should be those who have lost control of their limbs. “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or an auctioneer. That’s the goal,” said Musk.
This is how Musk’s Neuralink BCI technology works
BCI technology from Neuralink, an Elon Musk company, consists of a brain-computer interface (BCI) that creates a connection between the human brain and a computer. Instead of electrodes recording the brain and interpreting intended movements, the chip stimulates the brain and monitors the activity of thousands of neurons. Neuralink’s BCI consists of fine, flexible plastic wires and a coin-sized radio chip that evaluates the signals from the electrodes and sends them to a cell phone via a Bluetooth connection, where they can be made audible and evaluated. The technology, originally developed to improve communication for people with spinal cord injuries or conditions such as locked-in syndrome, has the potential to transform the lives of millions of people. Neuralink also has a clinical trial to investigate BCI in ALS has begun. Neuralink’s chip is 8 mm in size and is implanted into the brain by a robot. .
Why did it take so long for Neuralink to begin human testing?
The FDA only granted approval for human testing of Neuralink in September 2023, after earlier applications were rejected due to safety concerns. Reports of problematic experiments on laboratory animals resulting in serious injuries and deaths have also contributed to this delay. These challenges have set Neuralink’s progress back from Musk’s original timeline.
What sets Neuralink apart from other BCI companies?
Along with Science Corp, Blackrock Neurotech or Kernel, for example, Neuralink is not the first company to implant BCIs in people. But it aims to develop the technology to be fully reversible and upgradeable, similar to moving from one iPhone model to the next. Musk sees connecting the human brain with artificial intelligence not only as a way to restore motor functions, but also as an opportunity to expand human intelligence as a whole.
What are Neuralink’s long-term goals?
In the long term, Musk hopes Neuralink implants will support a wide range of applications, from improving communication skills to controlling vehicles and other devices with thought. The vision is to expand the boundaries of human capabilities and open up new ways of interacting with the digital world.
Conclusion: What does the first human experiment mean for the future?
Although many questions remain unanswered, Neuralink’s announced first human test marks a milestone on the path to realizing Musk’s vision of a close fusion of humans and machines. The future of BCI technology looks bright and the world is eagerly awaiting further developments and official confirmation of this groundbreaking experiment.
The author: Dr. Martin Large
(Image: Hüthig)
Coming from a family of teachers (father, grandfather, brother and uncle), Martin Large has always been interested in preparing and imparting knowledge to others. Whether at school or studying (biology), he always tried to take those around him with him and make their lives more pleasant. He can now live out this passion as an editor. He also takes care of SEO and everything that goes with it at all-electronics.de.
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