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Gertrude with a chip implanted in the brain of a pig looks like other pigs.
Some people describe Elon Musk as a technological monster. His brain-computer mating piglet has attracted the attention of the global scientific and technological community.
Musk is not only the CEO of the famous company Tesla Motors (Tesla) and the aerospace company SpaceX, he also founded another company Neuralink a few years ago.
Neuralink is a company that develops brain-computer coupling technology. Last year he submitted an application to start human trials. On Friday (28), Musk showed a Gertrude piglet whose brain was implanted into a brain-computer interface device via a live online broadcast.
Gertrude’s brain activity signals can be read in real time. This means that humans can take another step toward using implanted devices to treat diseases such as memory impairment and cervical spinal cord injury.
Brain-computer connection technology can allow people with neurological diseases to use their thinking to control cell phones or computers in the future.
Human brain and machine coupling technology
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It is not easy to notice brain-computer communication.
But this is only the first step. Musk’s long-term goal is to welcome the era of “superhuman cognition.”
Musk has repeatedly voiced his concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) before.
Therefore, he believes that humans must integrate with artificial intelligence to avoid the worst-case scenario of AI becoming too powerful and destroying humans in the future.
Neuralink was founded in 2017. Since the company was founded, Musk has worked hard to recruit tech talent to join.
The brain-computer coupling device studied by the company includes a miniature probe with more than 3,000 electrodes. The electrodes are connected to soft wires thinner than human hair to monitor the activity of 1,000 neurons in the brain.
More than a year ago, Neuralink conducted a brain-computer coupling experiment on a monkey. The experiment showed that the monkey can control the computer through the brain.
The company has also developed a “neurosurgical robot,” said to be able to insert 192 electrodes into the brain every minute.
Brain-computer interface technology is known as the “information highway” for communication between the human brain and the outside world. It offers hope for the restoration of sensory and motor functions and the treatment of neurological diseases in the future.
Furthermore, it can also “upgrade” the human brain and at the same time make humans more competitive against future AI threats.
Jennifer Collinger, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, described that what Musk is trying to do is carry out a true “disruptive innovation (also known as disruptive technology or disruptive technology) in the difficult field of medical technology., Disruptive technology) ”.
Collinger also said that Neuralink is highly resourceful, and more importantly, it has a team of scientists, engineers, and doctors. Everyone works for a common goal, so they have a better chance of success.
But even so, Klinger added, research and development of medical equipment still takes time, especially safety concerns are paramount.
Therefore, Klinger believes that this process may take longer than the company anticipated.
A long way to go
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Nuralink tries to find a way to stimulate the brain of paralyzed patients so that they can control the computer
Another expert, Ari Benjamin from the University of Pennsylvania, told the BBC that the real difficulties of the technology may depend on the complexity of the human brain.
Benjamin said the key is how to decode the information recorded after brain-computer coupling.
Benjamin believes that perhaps one day the hurdle the company faces will be a lack of basic understanding of how the human brain works, no matter how much neural information it records.
And if you don’t understand the neural code responsible for information exchange, you will be able to achieve your decoding goals and other plans.
Tech Tycoon Musk
People are familiar with Musk mainly because he owns two other well-known companies: SpaceX and Stella.
The two companies are involved in space flight and development of electric vehicles.
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Reuters
Musk, famous tech mogul and entrepreneur.
As an entrepreneur, Musk is also known for making bold and forward-thinking statements, but from the experience of SpaceX and Stella, the facts have shown that the time to complete the goal is much longer than planned.
However, the realization of any great plan originates from the original idea, the key is to see if you dare to think about it.
