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The promise was fulfilled and Elon Musk revealed to the world today the advances that have been made with the ambitious Neuralink project, in a presentation marked by a live demonstration of the operation of the technology that wants to directly connect the brain to a computer.
As the minutes passed after the scheduled time, anticipation grew among the hundreds of thousands of viewers waiting for the company’s news. On Twitter, even there were already memes about the strange delay and the tech mogul himself He went to the social network to say that the event was about to start, clearing up doubts about possible technical problems.
After a “slight” delay, Elon Musk welcomed the real and virtual audience, assuring that the demonstration would surprise everyone. The entrepreneur began by explaining that one of the goals is to make Neuralink technology accessible to everyone and that it will be used mainly to help people with neurological problems to have better living conditions.
After going over some details about the technologies that currently exist, pointing out their advantages and disadvantages, Elon Musk said that Neuralink now has a different and more simplified configuration than what was originally announced in 2019.
“It’s basically a Fitbit in the brain with some wires,” the official said. The size of the device has been reduced considerably to go almost unnoticed. Instead of placing the outside of the Neuralink behind the ear, it is “glued” to the back of the head.
In addition to transmitting music directly to the brain, Neuralink will allow users to perceive their state of health, alerting them to sudden changes in their vital signs. The implant placement process is apparently straightforward and a robotic surgeon can perform the procedure in a matter of hours. It is true that it may seem a bit dangerous, but Elon Musk assured that the technology was designed not to cause brain damage to the user.
For the live demonstration of how the implant works, the businessman unveiled a series of guinea pigs: nothing more, nothing less than pigs. “Dorothy”, for example, is a success story and has shown that a living being can survive without brain problems after the implantation and removal of the technological device.
Is it possible to implant more than one Neuralink? Elon Musk revealed yes. The company experimented by placing two implants in a pig, and to date, the animal has not shown any negative changes in its behavior or health.
The businessman explained that, through Neuralink, it is possible to read brain activity and predict the movements of the animal’s limbs. It is possible to see in real time the neurons to stimulate as the electrodes are activated.
Turning to the Neuralink specifications, the person in charge announced that the device has a battery with enough autonomy to last a whole day, with the possibility of charging it overnight, and it will be possible to interact with it through a smartphone application. Additionally, Neuralink received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, an important step in ensuring that the device is safe.
At the moment, the company is looking for new employees to make the project a reality, and Elon Musk said that tech engineers who ask for it don’t necessarily need to have advanced knowledge of how the brain works.
In the question and answer section, a curious question came up from Twitter: “Is it possible to” call “a Tesla through Neuralink?” Elon Musk said this will certainly be one of many possibilities. In the “pipeline” may also be integration with the game world.
When asked about areas of the brain that can be activated by Neuralink, the team’s neurosurgeons said they are more focused on the cerebral cortex, with the promise of solving problems such as paralysis or even blindness. However, the company does not rule out the possibility of activating other, deeper parts of the brain.
What is Neuralink’s biggest challenge? Elon Musk said that one of the biggest problems is the insulation of the wires that connect the device to the user’s brain. The environment is conducive to corrosion of the cables and it is necessary to create a layer of insulation that is thin and strong.
Could electronic devices cause any kind of interference with Neuralink? Company experts indicated that “peaceful” coexistence with other teams is very important and that steps are being taken to reduce negative interference. Additionally, security and privacy are priorities for Neuralink and ways are being developed to prevent future problems like cyberattacks.
Although human trials are still being planned, regarding the medical applications of Neuralink, Elon Musk clarified that the first experimental phase will be carried out with tetraplegic people, to see if the technology can help them regain lost mobility.
Saving memories and revisiting them will be one of the possibilities offered by Neuralink, although the entrepreneur admitted that what is being described could be very similar to an episode of the Black Mirror series.
Finishing the presentation, Elon Musk stressed that the company wants the technology to be accessible to everyone, especially in terms of prices. At first, the cost of the operation to insert the implant into the brain may exceed thousands of dollars, but the entrepreneur expects the price to decrease as Neuralink becomes more common.
What we already know about the Neuralink project
Although some of the achievements are already known, the project, which was officially announced in 2017, has been shrouded in mystery. Recently, Elon Musk confirmed that it will be possible to listen to music from implants placed in the brain. The businessman had also made it known that the chips will allow him to hear sounds that were previously impossible to capture by human ears.
In October 2019, Neuralink managed to get a monkey to control a computer with its brain. That same year, Neuralink said it was testing about 1,500 electrodes in mice. The company was already predicting the start of human testing before the end of 2020.
At the center of Neuralink is a 4x4mm microchip that can be implanted behind the ear, connected to wires about a quarter the diameter of human hair that contain electrodes that extend throughout the human brain. The function of the sensors is to collect information and send it to the chip, which will serve as a receptor on the surface of the skull. The microchip will then communicate via Bluetooth with an external device, placed behind the ear.
In 2019, Elon Musk mentioned at a Neuralink presentation event that the microchip contains around 10,000 electrodes, noting that the number was 1,000 times greater than what exists in interfaces used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
In humans, technology can be used to treat brain disorders or to help restore the ability to see, speak, and hear. The mogul also said the technology could be used for “telepathic” communications between two people or to control electronic devices with the mind.
However, long before Neuralink can be commercialized, it will have to go through multiple challenges and scrutiny from regulators. Since the system is considered a medical device, the company will need to demonstrate that the technology is safe and effective through various clinical trials.
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