Neuralink To Begin Human Brain Chip Trials In As Soon As Six Months, Says Musk

Last April, Elon Musk’s Neuralink made headlines when it shared footage of a macaque monkey, implanted with the company’s brain chips, playing a Pong-style video game without even touching a controller.

Concerns were raised earlier this year when it was revealed that monkeys had been harmed during the testing, with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) going so far as to launch a lawsuit against the firm. 

Now, a month after Neuralink’s ‘Show and Tell’ was scheduled to take place, Musk announced that “in about six months,” the project will be able “to have a Neuralink installed in a human.” 

Overall, the company said its goal of developing brain chips is to help disabled or impaired individuals to interact with technology, communicate, and even more again in the future. 

According to Reuters, it’s still unclear how the brain chips will work, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it could not comment on the “status or existence” of any potential products or applications. 

Nonetheless, as per Musk, the first two applications in humans will involve restoring vision to the visually impaired and allowing movement in the muscles of those who are currently unable to do so. 

Going even further, the billionaire said in a lofty claim that he believed Neuralink’s brain chips could restore vision to an individual who was born blind, and never had the gift of sight.  

Given Musk’s frustrations that the firm has fallen behind competitor Synchron, which successfully installed a device into a human patient this July, it’s unsurprising he’s pushing for an accelerated timeline. 

Will Neuralink truly be able to conduct human trials for its brain chips in the coming year? Or will it be just as mythical as the yet-to-be-released Cybertruck?

[via Engadget and Reuters, cover image via Rafael Henrique | Dreamstime.com]