Neuralink's long-term vision extends beyond restoring lost functions, with Musk hoping the technology will help humans merge with machines to enhance cognitive abilities. However, critics warn of ethical questions and potential concerns regarding mental privacy and brain data. The company has secured FDA approval for human trials and is currently recruiting participants for a study expected to take six years to complete.
Key takeaways:
- Elon Musk's company Neuralink has implanted its first brain device in a human, with the aim of allowing people to control computers with their minds.
- The first product, named 'Telepathy', is targeted towards people who have lost the use of their limbs and will allow them to control a computer or phone just by thinking.
- Musk has suggested that Neuralink's second product could be aimed at restoring eyesight for the blind, by beaming direct vision to the brain and stimulating parts of the visual cortex.
- Neuralink has secured approval to begin human trials from the FDA and is currently recruiting participants for a study intended to evaluate the safety and initial functionality of the brain chip in patients with quadriplegia.