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Elon Musk put a chip in this paralysed man’s brain. Now he can move things with his mind. Should we be amazed - or terrified?

Is it a life-changing innovation that could help millions – or the start of a dystopia where a billionaire can access our thoughts... It might all be hype and bluster. But it’s possible to imagine a future where the sum total of all human knowledge is available to anyone with a brain implant. They could switch off their anxiety – or their empathy – as required. With total recall of every moment in their lives and every piece of information they ever encountered, every problem solved before the conscious mind could consider it, life for these people would be pretty much frictionless. In that world, wouldn’t there be incredible inequality between those who had BCIs and those who didn’t?

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 Neuralink: Can Musk's brain technology change the world?

.Is he right when he says this technology could - in the long term - save the human race itself? One thing that almost every expert in the field agrees on is that this kind of cutting-edge technology is decades away, at best, from a High Street brain surgeon near you. Elon Musk, as well, has suggested that the ultimate goal is not to speed up your takeaway order, but to better protect humanity from the risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI), something he has described in the past as an "existential threat". By better combining human and computer brains, we're less likely to be "left behind" as a species, he argues: "With a high bandwidth, brain-machine interface, we can actually go along for the ride."

Articles of Interest

Despite Setback, Neuralink’s First Brain-Implant Patient Stays Upbeat

Elon Musk’s first human experiment with a computerized brain device developed significant flaws, but the subject, who is paralyzed, has few regrets.

Elon Musk’s brain implant company offers an intriguing glimpse of an internet connecting human minds

Neurotechnology is likely to have diverse impacts across society: in the home, the workplace, the criminal justice system and networks of infrastructure. Teasing out the emerging issues across these different sectors should enable us to anticipate the harms and benefits of neurotechnology. This will allow us to shape its development to support humans and the environment.

How Implanted Brain Chips Like Neuralink Could Change Our Lives

Neuralink’s current trial, named the The PRIME Study, is aimed at providing individuals with quadriplegia the ability to control external devices with their thoughts. Experts in the field say that the technology, known as brain-computer interface (BCI), has a wide range of potential applications—particularly for those with disabilities.

Neuralink has put its first chip in a human brain. What could possibly go wrong?

If Neuralink’s devices are successful, they are likely to transform patients’ lives. What happens if the company winds up operations because it can’t make a profit? A plan for long-term care is essential.

Neuralink Patient Is Using His Brain Implant to Play ‘Counter-Strike 2’

The procedure, done last month at Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona, reportedly went smoothly and Alex’s recovery has been thankfully uneventful. The implant, known as the Link, is designed to improve digital device control for people with quadriplegia, aiming to restore their ability to use their appendages.

Neuralink’s First User Is ‘Constantly Multitasking’ With His Brain Implant

Noland Arbaugh is the first to get Elon Musk’s brain device. The 30-year-old speaks to WIRED about what it’s like to use a computer with his mind—and gain a new sense of independence.

Resources

Neuralink

Neuralink is currently seeking people with quadriplegia to participate in a groundbreaking investigational medical device clinical trial for our brain-computer interface. If you have quadriplegia and want to explore new ways of controlling your computer, please consider joining our Patient Registry.