Neuralink
Controlling your PC with your brain – what a thought!
What is it?
A US company that wants to connect the human brain to a computer interface, letting people control PCS with the power of thought. Its founder, Elon Musk (pictured below), says the technology could ultimately lead to an era of “superintelligence”.
Who’s Elon Musk again?
A man with many dreams and a lot of money. He’s been CEO of Paypal, founded spacecraft company Spacex and electric car firm Tesla, and is now worth around £19bn. But he’s best known for his visionary ideas. He wants to help colonise Mars to make humans a “multi-planetary species”; he’s building tunnels under Los Angeles to transport people at speeds of 760mph; and he wants 12,000 satellites to provide broadband to the world’s poorest areas. And in July he unveiled a Neuralink device that he says could help humans “merge” with artificial intelligence.
What is the device?
It’s a tiny probe containing more than 3,000 electrodes attached to flexible threads, each thinner than a human hair (see them in the main image, placed next to a one-cent coin). These can monitor the activity of 1,000 neurons in the brain.
What will it be used for?
It could help paralysed people and those with brain disorders to control computers. Crucially, it will be able to target specific parts of the brain, providing an alternative to intrusive and dangerous surgery. Neuralink said it will prioritise helping patients with severe neurological conditions. One of its smartest features is using machine learning to constantly analyse what kind of electric stimulation works best for each person.
Hasn’t this technology existed for a while?
For a few years, yes. In 2006 Matthew Nagle became the first person with spinal-cord paralysis to receive an implant designed to control computers. He managed to play the game Pong using only his mind. Since then, brain-computer interfaces have made great strides, helping paralysed people perform tasks like move robotic arms.
So what’s Neuralink doing differently?
It has more threads, recording the activity of many more neurons, leading to more precise results. In addition, the threads are more flexible, making them less susceptible to damage caused by the brain shifting in the skull.
Does it work?
Apparently so. Musk says tests allowed a monkey to control a computer, so his next move is to seek permission from the US Food and Drug Administration to try it on humans. Even with approval, Musk admits it’ll take “a long time”. He said: “It’s not like suddenly we will have this incredible neural lace and will take over people’s brains”. Long term, Neuralink wants to fire a laser beam into the skull rather than having to drill a hole, making the process as straightforward and safe as laser-eye surgery, eliminating the need for general anaesthetics.
What do other experts think?
They’re impressed by the technology, though with some reservations. Krittika D’silva, an AI expert at Nasa, said Neuralink’s plans “will require many years of work to deal with technical and ethical challenges”, but that it has strong potential to “alleviate certain serious medical conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s”. Andrew Hires, assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of Southern California, tweeted that Neuralink’s device “goes beyond” what’s currently possible. Whatever comes of Neuralink, it won’t satisfy Musk’s inexhaustible ambition. We suspect he won’t be happy until we’re driving along underground Martian motorways in electric cars powered by thought alone.
It could help paralysed people and those with brain disorders to control computers