There has been a new wave in the tech world in recent days, with Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, announcing that one of his companies has successfully implanted a computer chip into the human brain, the first attempt. This news has aroused widespread attention and heated discussions.
Musk wrote on his social platform X (formerly Twitter): "Yesterday, the first human underwent Neuralink implantation surgery and is recovering well. "Preliminary results show promising detection of neuronal waves," which refers to cells that use electrical and chemical signals to carry information in the brain and other parts of the body, he said.
It is reported that Neuralink's goal is to enable those who are paralyzed to be able to control their devices, including smartphones, just by thinking. Currently, the technology is undergoing trials to test its interface capabilities and surgical robots for microchip implantation. Neuralink, which received permission to conduct its first human trial in the U.S. last year, plans to implant brain chips in up to 11 people this year, and thousands of volunteers have already stepped forward.
Billionaire Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk said the brain chip company's first product was called "telepathy." "Being able to control your phone or computer just by thinking and control almost any device through them," he wrote. The initial users will be those who have lost the function of their limbs. ”
A report by Ashley Fans, one of Musk's biographers, describes the procedure, in which surgeons remove a portion of the skull and then a robot sews electrodes and ultrafine threads into the brain. A free-standing device sits behind the ear with wires directly connected to the wearer's brain.
Musk reportedly urged the team to speed up progress after a breakthrough at rival Synchron last year, with one of Synchron's patients sending messages on social platforms based on thinking alone.
The first trial, which focused on people with paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was designed to allow people to control a computer cursor or keyboard with just their minds.
Neuralink's device has a chip that processes and transmits nerve signals implanted in the brain to devices behind the ear and then to devices such as computers and mobile phones. The company hopes that a person will hopefully be able to control a mouse, keyboard, or other computer function with their mind alone, such as sending text messages through their mind.
Neuralink also believes that its devices will eventually be able to restore neural activity in the human body, enabling those suffering from spinal cord injuries to move their limbs. The San Francisco and Austin-based company also hopes to cure neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
It is worth mentioning that Neuralink not only has a direct competitor, Synchron, but also several other companies working on various implants. David Taffley, a senior lecturer in applied ethics and cybersecurity at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, who writes in The Conversation, said: "Neural implants have been helping people since the first cochlear implant was implanted in the hearing-impaired in the early 1960s. Much progress has been made in the 60 years since. ”
Currently, Musk is confident in the prospects of this technology, believing that it will bring hope to paralyzed patients, improve the way people interact with the digital world, and make a significant contribution to solving neurological diseases. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, we look forward to seeing more surprises and changes that this technology brings to mankind.