Want to be a superhero like Doctor Strange, Martian Manhunter, Professor X, or Jean Grey? Or have you dreamed about having telepathy, telekinesis, or mind-reading power? What if I tell you that these dreams might be closer to achieving than you think? Today, I want to tell you something about the future of our technology called Neurlink.
Neuralink, 2016
So, what is Neuralink? Neuralink is a neurotechnology company that develops implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Elon Musk founded Neuralink with the goal of developing brain-computer interfaces. The company is currently working on a wearable device that attaches to the skull and interfaces with the brain. The company was founded in 2016 and has since been working on developing the technology. In 2019, the company demonstrated its technology on a monkey, which could control a computer with its thoughts.
Neuralink Pioneer Building, San Francisco
So now that we know what Neuralink is, how about their goals and plans for the future? The goal of Neuralink is to help people to develop a product that can be used by humans to control computers with their thoughts. The devices are therefore currently being designed to one-day give people the ability to communicate more easily via text or speech synthesis, to follow their curiosity on the web, or express their creativity through photography, art, or writing apps. The company is also working on other applications of the technology, such as restoring movement to people with paralysis.
Brain Chip Image
The link is just the starting point for a new kind of brain-computer interface. As our technology develops, they want to increase the channel of communication with the brain, access to more brain areas, and new kinds of neural information. They also believe that technology has the potential to treat a wide range of neurological disorders, restore sensory and motor function, and eventually expand how we interact with each other and experience the world around us.
But one of the biggest questions is will the Neuralink be safe. As far as I know, they have not yet begun their clinical trials, so they don’t have the safety data for humans. But when it comes to safety they said that it is the core of the design process. In particular, Neuralink includes technical innovations intended to improve the safety of the surgical procedure compared to existing devices or traditional neurosurgery.
Will it be available to the general public? For now, they are focused on developing for people who need treatment. But expect that as their device continue to develop and learn to communicate with more areas of the brain, and is sufficiently safe, availability to the general public is always on the table.
The technology is still in its early stages, and it will likely be many years before a product is available for human use. However, the potential application of the technology is fascinating, and it will be interesting to see how it develops in the future.
As to what I feel about this technology is exciting and scary at the same time. The exciting part is it will help many people who need medical treatment, it is a breakthrough in our tech industry. However, the scary thing is this might be used as an instrument for a crime against people who will abuse Neuralink.