Thousands of people are waiting to be implanted with Musk's brain chip for 22,000 surgeries in 2030
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1. Biographer Vance revealed that thousands of people are currently waiting in line to implant Musk's brain-computer interface brain chips.
2. In the past two years, Neuralink's robots have completed more than 400 implantation trials on animals.
3. The company expects to perform 11 human implant surgeries next year and more than 22,000 surgeries by 2030.
4. Musk hopes to realize the symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence in this way.
Tencent Technology News Elon Musk's biographer Ashlee Vance wrote an article on Tuesday claiming that thousands of people are waiting in line to implant brain-computer interface startup Neuralink's brain chip. It is reported that Neuralink has performed more than 400 implantation surgeries on various animal test subjects, including pigs and monkeys, but has not yet implanted its device into humans. However, Musk wants to speed up the process, planning to perform surgeries on 11 people next year and implant surgeries for more than 22,000 people by 2030.
You can't mess up human trials like Tesla and SpaceX
Neuralink is looking for volunteers for its first-in-human clinical trial, which means the company is looking for someone willing to have a surgeon remove one of their skulls so that a large robot can insert a series of electrodes and ultra-fine wires into their brains. When the robot completes the operation, the severed skull fragments will be replaced by a coin-sized computer. The machine's job will be to read and analyze the person's brain activity and then wirelessly forward the information to a nearby laptop or tablet.
For the purposes of this human trial, the ideal candidate would be an adult under the age of 40 with quadriplegia. Such patients may have Neuralink's implant inserted into the pre-motor cortical hand knob area of their brain, which controls the hands, wrists, and forearms. Neuralink's goal is to demonstrate that the device can safely collect useful data from this part of a patient's brain, a key step in Neuralink's efforts to translate the human mind into instructions that computers can understand.
As Envisioned by Neuralink, anyone would be able to undergo a 15-minute robotic procedure, which would then be called a human-machine hybrid. These cyborgs will be able to download knowledge, as Keanu Reeves did in The Matrix, or upload their minds to memory, or even to other people's brains. In his first presentation in 2019, Musk said: "It will sound strange, but in the end we will achieve symbiosis with artificial intelligence." ”
Neuralink's trial is exciting. If the company's products work as intended, future iterations could help improve the lives of millions of people suffering from paralysis, stroke, and hearing and vision loss. At the same time, Neuralink's high profile has already enticed investors to start looking for the next Neuralink. Once again, Musk has reshaped the industry, and this time it may be the most transformative.
Over the past three years, Neuralink has grown its facilities and presence in Silicon Valley and Austin. But as they prepare for human trials, the pressure to succeed is something that even Musk hasn't seen before. After all, it took Tesla many years to achieve mass production of cars, and the first three rockets of SpaceX exploded. Shivon Zilis, director of special projects at Neuralink, said when it came to brains, "We can't mess up the first three. We don't have such power in this field!"
The long-term goal is to enable billions of people to unleash human potential using brain-computer interface technology
In 2016, Musk co-founded Neuralink with seven scientists with $100 million in funding, a project that attracted close attention from venture capitalists. Since then, Neuralink has raised more than $500 million, including $280 million this year. This focus has also helped attract investor attention to other brain-computer interface efforts, including long-standing university projects as well as newer startups. According to research firm PitchBook, 37 similar companies raised more than $560 million in funding last year.
Most of these businesses have the same overarching goal: to create a brain scanning device that can leave the lab. The ideal implant should have enough computing power to record and input large amounts of data and transmit data over a powerful wireless signal. This must all be done with as little battery power as possible, and the device must not be allowed to run overheated, which could irritate or injure the patient. In addition to hardware, BCI companies need machine learning software skills to perform thousands of tests.
Neuralink's implants are hidden under the scalp, flush with the skull. It is equipped with enough computing power to handle more than just tasks like thinking and clicking. In the near future, this idea will make high-speed typing and seamless use of the cursor possible. Neuralink is also working on an assisted spinal implant designed to restore movement and sensation to paralyzed patients. DJ Seo, co-founder and vice president of engineering at Neuralink, said: "The company's short-term goal is to build universal brain interfaces that help those with severe neurological conditions and underserved medical needs. The long-term goal is to make this technology accessible to billions of people and unleash human potential beyond our biological capabilities. ”
The hardware and software are built to perfection, and it only takes 25 minutes to actually implant
Although some competitors are ahead of Neuralink in human trials, the company's original technology is closest to a general-purpose computer in the brain. The implant has more than 1,000 electrodes to collect brain data, compared to about 16 for competing devices. Neuralink hardware integrates processing, communication, and charging systems, including batteries and signal amplification systems. Competitors still have to wire the implants to the bulky battery and amplifier units, components that are often surgically implanted in the patient's chest. Neuralink's battery lasts for several hours and can be charged wirelessly in a few hours with a custom baseball cap.
Another popular move by Musk is the internalization of key manufacturing operations, which obviously increases financial risk but saves time. Neuralink even produces its own semiconductor chips, which is extremely rare in the medical device industry. It is specifically tailored to its low-power, low-heat needs. In Austin, it transformed an old bar into an implant production line and testing center. In addition to ordinary grinders, lathes and laser cutters, more exotic equipment is included, such as refrigerator-sized cabinets filled with a synthetic brain fluid that heats, cools and pushes implants to simulate years of wear and tear.
The first priority during surgery is to avoid any bleeding or scar tissue in the patient's brain. To this end, Neuralink also builds its own surgical robot. When a human surgeon cuts a hole in a patient's skull, the robot performs an extremely delicate task of inserting electrode-bound wires into the brain. Each thread is about 5 microns thick, about 1/14th the diameter of a human hair, so no human being is allowed to try this method.
Neuralink's dozen robots performed 155 implantation surgeries on sheep, pigs and monkeys in 2021 and completed 294 surgeries last year. For human subjects, surgical preparation and craniotomy are expected to take several hours, and then about 25 minutes is the true implantation time.
Neuralink has already received applications from thousands of potential patients, and the FDA recently approved it for additional implantation trials in 2024 without the need for a one-year evaluation period. The company estimates that each implant procedure costs about $10,500, including inspections, components and labor, and charges about $40,000 to the insurance company. The company expects annual revenue of up to $100 million over five years. Neuralink also said it plans to perform 11 surgeries in 2024, 27 in 2025 and 79 in 2026. Then, it skyrocketed from 499 in 2027 to 22,204 in 2030.
Compared to previous academically focused progressive research, Neuralink has gained more attention, though not always praised. Some neurologists say Neuralink is hyping up the technology. Animal rights groups accuse it of mistreating monkeys, pigs and other mammals. The key lies with Musk, whose increasingly manic and reactionary online presence suggests that he may not be the ideal person to mass-produce mind control devices. (Text/Golden Deer)