Neuralink: Chips in our brains?
By Anya Gruteser
Although computer chips implanted in human brains seem like the premise of a science fiction or dystopian novel, they are quickly becoming our reality. Though the first brain chip was implanted in 2004 by Braingate, the technology has recently been garnering attention when Neuralink, a company owned by Elon Musk, announced in January that they had implanted their first chip into a human. In the past couple weeks, videos have surfaced on X, formerly Twitter, showing the patient controlling a computer mouse with his mind and playing video games with his father.
While controlling a computer mouse with a brain-computer interface isn’t revolutionary—Braingate’s 2004 technology had performed the same task—Neuralink’s chip is an improvement from previous technologies. Specifically, it transmits data wirelessly, meaning that the hassle of having wires, going through skin, attached to external devices is not an issue. This makes it much more feasible for people to live with brain chips, especially if this technology becomes common.
The brain-computer interface works through “threads”, each thinner than a strand of human hair, that are embedded into the brain by a sewing-machine-esque robot. The threads read signals from the brain and transmit the data to a phone or computer, which allows the person to control the device with just their thoughts.
The patient, Noland Arbaugh, is a 29 year-old quadriplegic, meaning that he is paralyzed in all four limbs. The chip poses the possibility to others suffering from quadriplegia, or other severe impairments of movement, that they could gain more independence with such technologies. Arbaugh has also encouraged others to get the chip, stating that it will “change the world” and “change how people like me are able to just live their lives.”
While the brain chip seems promising in aiding paralyzed people, it is not Musk’s end goal. According to Musk, he wishes to “achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence.” His objective stems from the recent advancements in AI; he believes that machines that are smarter than humans might eventually be created, threatening civilization. By creating humans merged with AI, it would prevent that issue. Not only does this idea pose several ethical questions, Neuralink has a history of allegedly pushing for invasive and dangerous approaches to implants to further his goal, undermining the safety of the initiative
While brain-computer interfaces might improve the quality of life of millions of paralyzed people, it could also lead to something potentially dangerous. As this technology advances and becomes more common, the world will have to adjust and adapt to the new changes.
Works Cited
Corse, Alexa. “Patient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink Shows off New Life with Implant.” WSJ, 24 Mar. 2024, www.wsj.com/us-news/patient-of-elon-musks-neuralink-shows-off-new-life-with-implant-200f9d2e.
Reuters. “Neuralink’s First Human Patient Able to Control Mouse through Thinking, Musk Says.” Reuters, 20 Feb. 2024, www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/neuralinks-first-human-patient-able-control-mouse-through-thinking-musk-says-2024-02-20/.
Samuel, Sigal. “Elon Musk Wants to Merge Humans with AI. How Many Brains Will Be Damaged along the Way?” Vox, 16 Oct. 2023, www.vox.com/future-perfect/23899981/elon-musk-ai-neuralink-brain-computer-interface.
---. “Elon Musk’s Neuralink Plans to Merge the Brain with AI Using Implants.” Vox, Vox, 17 July 2019, www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/7/17/20697812/elon-musk-neuralink-ai-brain-implant-thread-robot.
