Musk diving into minds while reaching for Mars

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk hinted yesterday that he is working on a new startup focusing on braincomputer interface, part of his vision to help humans keep up with machines. Musk, the founder of electric carmaker Telsa and exploration firm SpaceX, referenced the new company called Neuralink in a tweet, a day after a Wall Street Journal report saying the company had been formed.

Musk’s tweet said he would elaborate his plans in a blog post soon. “Long Neuralink piece coming out on (blog platform) @waitbutwhy in about a week. Difficult to dedicate the time, but existential risk is too high not to,” Musk tweeted. The Journal reported that the new startup will focus on “neural lace” technology which involves implanting tiny brain electrodes capable of uploading and downloading thoughts. The report said Musk has taken an active role setting up the company and may play a “significant leadership role” even as he runs two other large companies. Musk has previously spoken about the idea of neural lacing, claiming it can magnify people’s brain power by linking them directly to computing capabilities. —AFP