Elon Musk started Neuralink human trials to test its efficacy in humans. Musk has indicated positive results from the initial phase of testing.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has implemented his Neuralink brain chip in a human for the first time. Musk himself revealed the news on his X account and said that the positive results are promising.
Musk wrote on X, “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.”
Although Elon Musk is calling Neuralink the future of the world, some professionals are quite worried about it. Despite all this, Neuralink human trials are underway after permission from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Here is all you need to know about Neuralink and its future.
What is Neuralink?
Neuralink is a type of brain chip that is installed in the human brain and creates a connection between the brain and electronic devices. Elon Musk envisions it as a brain chip business startup, which he founded in 2016.
Neuralink is a small coin-like chip that the company wants to implant in the human skull with ultra-thin wires leading to the brain. This system is going to develop a brain-computer interface.
The chip will collect the brain activity and send it over to a device like a smartphone, PC, or other electronic device. The first product, named Telepathy, will enable the user to operate their devices just by thinking.
In addition, Elon Musk also believes that the installation of his chip in the human brain will help cope with neurological disorders.
What is the status of Neuralink human trials?
Neuralink has reached its human testing phase, and the first chip has also been installed. According to Musk’s tweet, initially, the test appears to be successful as it is working as expected.
This means that neurons are delivering chemical and electrical signals to each other in the body after the chip is installed.
What trials has Neuralink passed?
Before human trials, the Neuralink was implemented on pigs and monkeys. The animal trial of this chip did not kill any pig or monkey. However, the implantation of Neuralink led to problems like seizures, brain swelling, and paralysis in the subjected animals.
Although the invention will take time to come to the market, people have some ethical concerns with this project. First of all, according to the professionals, Neuralink will be a danger to human privacy. Medical professionals also believe that the implantation of Neuralink will be problematic in head surgeries.