Elon Musk and Neuralink are working fervently to have their brain chip operation, which means inserting technology into people's heads, kicked off by this year's end.
According to The Sun, Neuralink is "developing implantable brain chips that are inserted into regions of the mind that control movement." The innovation, according to the Elon Musk-founded company, "will one day help people with paralysis to control smartphones and computers with their brain activity."
The report added that Neuralink also hopes to provide implants specifically designed to boost intelligence and to "potentially cure neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's." Founded in 2016, Neuralink aims to "create a full brain interface within 25 years."
"Neuralink is working super hard to ensure implant safety & is in close communication with the FDA," Musk tweeted on Friday. "If things go well, we might be able to do initial human trials later this year."
This was following the recently released video by the company last week of a monkey which was reportedly playing video games using its mind after a brain chip implant.
The next phase is to start testing these brain chips on humans with the hopes that people with disabilities could one day operate machines like computers using their thoughts.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes that this technology, though still in its development stage, could help humans in the future from "being outpaced by artificial intelligence." He thinks that if left uncheck, AI-powered machines could potentially cause harm on people.
Now 49 years old, the billionaire founded another company in 2016 that would solely focus on neurotechnology. In 2019, he had made statements of initial brain chip implants on humans by the end of 2020. He also provided some details on Neuralink's roadmap in developing chips for humans.
"First, Neuralink product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs," tweets the Tesla and SpaceX boss. "Later versions will be able to shunt signals from Neuralinks in brain to Neuralinks in body motor/sensory neuron clusters, thus enabling, for example, paraplegics to walk again."
"The device is implanted flush with skull & charges wirelessly, so you look & feel totally normal," he added.
Several firms are reportedly now working to design interfaces that could electronically link a computer to a person's brain.
Aside from the medical help claim, professionals are eyeing the brain chip's potential to aid military operations. If the project ensues, soldiers on missions could "command or communicate with swarms of drones using their thoughts."
The idea is not far-fetched as the U.S. government had already deployed several initiatives like Pentagon's virus diagnostic chips and neural implants with hopes of creating "super soldiers." Both technology and more are being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Much as the new technology sounds promising, ethical and security concerns were raised about brain chip implants. In a ZDNet published op-ed, a cyber security expert states that a brain-computer interface (BCIs) poses a security threat. Brain-chipped individuals will run the risk of getting hacked by tech savvy crooks.
