Elon Musk: The test results of the first human implanted chip are about to come out The situation looks optimistic

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  Musk said Neuralink is expected to release test results for the first human patient to receive a brain chip implant this week.

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  Musk hopes the results will show that humans can indeed use their minds to control mobile phones or computers.

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  But eight out of ten respondents said they would not be willing to implant Neuralink's chips.

Tencent Technology News reported on February 6 that according to foreign media reports, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that its brain-computer interface company Neuralink will release the preliminary test results of the first brain chip implanted patient this week to prove that humans can indeed control mobile phones or computers through their minds. Musk said that if the test has the desired effect, more patients will undergo brain chip implantation surgery this year. However, not too many people seem to be willing to accept brain implants.

The results of the first human test are expected this week

At the premiere of the film "Lola" in Los Angeles, Musk excitedly announced that Neuralink is expected to submit a preliminary test report by the end of this week. The report is expected to demonstrate that advanced brain-computer interface technology allows patients to manipulate mobile phones and computers using only their minds.

In the interview, Musk said: "We hope to get exact feedback from the first human patient later this week." So far, all signs point to a very positive picture. ”

It is reported that the anonymous patient was successfully implanted with Neuralink's revolutionary product, Telepathy, last week. Musk further elaborated in a post: "This device enables direct control of a phone or computer with a mind, and through them further control many other devices. ”

Last week, Musk revealed that the patient was recovering well after surgery, and preliminary tests showed that neuronal spike detection was effective. Neuralink did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider outside of normal business hours.

Although Neuralink's chip development journey has taken many years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has previously postponed the start of human trials several times due to safety concerns. It wasn't until May 2023 that the technology finally received regulatory approval and attracted thousands of potential patients to sign up for it. They are willing to undergo a craniotomy to implant this cutting-edge brain implant.

Musk has always believed that this technology will bring hope to paralyzed patients. He even ventured to predict that the implant could potentially "treat" a variety of neurological disorders, including autism and schizophrenia, in the future.

In a post on the X platform, Musk wrote passionately: "Imagine if Stephen Hawking (the famous physicist) could communicate faster than a typist or auctioneer." And that's what we're trying to achieve. ”

It only takes 25 minutes for the robot to implant a brain chip

The brain-computer interface company, co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, has an ambitious vision to create a device that allows people to communicate telepathically and even manipulate games with their minds. Until then, however, Neuralink's priority was to help patients with severe neurological disorders by allowing them to control devices and communicate with their brain activity alone.

After years of research and development, Neuralink was finally approved to conduct human trials in May last year. In September, the company officially opened applications for trials, attracting thousands of potential patients (quadriplegics or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) waiting to receive the first implants of their brain-on-chips.

It is understood that Neuralink's brain chip is as small as a coin, but it is capable of recording and transmitting brain activity. The device has 64 ultra-fine threads that extend from the chip and connect more than 1,000 electrodes in total. These hair-thin metal threads are so delicate that they cannot be implanted by hand, and can only be done by robots.

According to Neuralink, the company's dedicated robot, which is more than 2.4 meters tall, is able to process these ultra-thin wires precisely and implant them in a way that avoids damaging blood vessels in the brain. Before the robot can implant the device, the human surgeon needs to remove a portion of the patient's skull. While a craniotomy takes hours, it only takes 25 minutes for the robot to insert the device. The device will replace the removed part of the skull and provide patients with a new way of communicating and controlling.

Musk said he hopes surgery times can be shortened even further and expects the company to eventually be able to achieve fully automated surgery without human intervention. For patients, the Neuralink device is cleverly designed behind the ear. Once the device is properly placed, the electrodes will be inserted into the brain. Currently, the brain chip has a battery life of "several hours", but Musk aims to keep it working for about 12 hours. In addition, the device is equipped with a "custom baseball cap" for charging, ensuring that patients can easily use it in their daily lives.

During the R&D process, Neuralink has successfully performed more than 150 implantation surgeries on a variety of laboratory animals, including sheep, pigs, and monkeys. In 2021, Neuralink demonstrated how its technology allows monkeys to play video games using only brain signals. In a demo video, the monkey Pager plays a game using a joystick disconnected from the game console, controlling cursor movement through brain signals. As a bonus, Neuralink fed the monkey a milkshake via a straw attached to a computer monitor.

However, this innovative technology has also sparked condemnation from animal rights activists. After obtaining more than 700 pages of documents from monkeys used at UC Davis for Neuralink research between 2017 and 2020, the Committee of Responsible Medical Physicians submitted a complaint about Neuralink to the USDA in 2022. The group said the records showed the animals experienced "extreme suffering."

Both UC Davis and Neuralink denied this, and the partnership ended in 2020. In a blog post, Neuralink insisted: "At Neuralink, we always strive to work with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible. ”

The public didn't buy it, and more than eighty percent of respondents were reluctant to implant it

Although Neuralink is working on developing brain implants to reconcile the connection between the brain and technology. However, a recent poll by YouGov, a UK-based online market research firm, shows that while the technology has indeed earned a loyal following among science fiction fans, many people don't seem to be interested in implanting the device.

The survey, conducted from January 30 to February 1, 2024, involved a total of 1,000 respondents. The results show that only 8% of respondents would consider implanting a computer chip in their brains if the technology successfully passes the pilot phase and is commercially available.

The survey also found that a whopping 82 percent of respondents are likely or certainly not to do so, while 10 percent have yet to make a decision. It's worth noting that interest in taking the test is also quite low, with only 2% "definitely" considering implanting a computer chip in their brain "within the next year." Overall, only 5% of respondents would consider buying chips next year.

In addition, men were more than three times more likely than women to be disappointed with commercially produced brain chips (13% vs. 4%). Democrats and independents are twice as likely as Republicans to consider this technique (10% vs. 5%). (Compiler/Golden Deer)