Elon Musk is making headlines again, this time for announcing that a brain-computer interface (BCI) device developed by his startup Neuralink has been implanted in a person’s brain for the second time. During a podcast released on August 2, Musk mentioned that up to eight more people could receive the brain chip by 2024 as part of ongoing clinical trials.
The initial human trial suggests that Neuralink’s BCI device, nicknamed ‘Telepathy,’ enables users to browse the internet or control digital devices with their thoughts. But what else can Neuralink-assisted brains do at this stage? How does this differ from future aspirations, and what obstacles lie ahead?
What is Neuralink, and why is it drawing attention?
Founded in 2016 as a medical research company in California, Neuralink gained attention in 2017 when it was revealed that Elon Musk, of SpaceX fame, was backing the venture. The company, headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional facilities in Austin, Texas, reads electrical signals from neurons in the brain and uses those signals to control devices, like typing on a computer screen. Although similar brain-computer interfaces existed before Neuralink, what sets it apart is its smaller size, making implantation easier. The device is coin-sized and contains over 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 ultra-thin, flexible threads.
A surgical robot implants these threads into the brain, reaching the cortex—the area responsible for movement—by bypassing the fluids and membranes surrounding the brain. According to Neuralink co-founder and president Dongjin Seo, the entire surgery takes just 30-40 minutes. Once implanted, the electrodes read brain signals and transmit them to an external device via Bluetooth.
How have Neuralink’s human trials progressed?
The first person to receive the Neuralink implant was Noland Arbaugh, who is paralyzed from the shoulders down due to a diving accident. Initially, he used a tablet with a mouth-held stick, but Musk recently revealed that Arbaugh can now perform various tasks, such as playing video games, browsing the internet, posting on social media, and moving a cursor on his laptop, all by simply thinking. Neuralink has since implanted its BCI device in a second person who also suffered a spinal cord injury. Out of the device’s 1,024 electrodes, about 400 are transmitting signals from this second patient’s brain.
What are Elon Musk’s future plans for Neuralink?
Musk has ambitious plans for Neuralink, envisioning that the brain implant will eventually help paralyzed patients walk again. He has also stated that Neuralink could treat a range of conditions, including memory loss, addiction, insomnia, schizophrenia, seizures, and psychosis. During last week’s podcast, Musk reiterated that the ultimate goal of Neuralink is to merge the human brain with artificial intelligence (AI). He also hinted at releasing upgraded versions of the device in the future.
What challenges and controversies surround Neuralink?
Neuralink has faced several challenges and controversies. A month after the implant was placed in Arbaugh’s brain, approximately 85% of the electrode-carrying threads retracted from his brain, diminishing the device’s functionality. Additionally, Matthew MacDougall, Neuralink’s head of neurosurgery, noted that some of the electrodes became dislodged due to an air pocket formed during surgery. In response, Neuralink adjusted the device’s algorithm to improve its sensitivity, giving Arbaugh better control. The surgical team for the second implant avoided creating air pockets by sculpting a hole to implant the device lower in the cranium and inserting the threads deeper into the cortex.
Beyond technical issues, Neuralink has faced significant regulatory scrutiny and ethical concerns. Reports have surfaced that monkeys used in early trials suffered gruesome deaths, and over 1,500 animals, including sheep, pigs, and monkeys, allegedly died due to rushed testing, according to Reuters. These incidents have raised serious legal and ethical questions about the company’s practices.
