Musk: Neuralink brain-computer interface is expected to be used in humans next year
Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, December 8 (intern reporter Zhang Jiaxin) Comprehensive foreign media recently reported that Elon Musk expressed at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit on the 6th that he hopes that brain-computer interface technology company Neuralink can be used on humans next year. Microchip device.
It is currently awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Neuralink, a company co-founded by Musk in 2016, is developing a microchip that can be implanted in the human brain to record and stimulate brain activity and will be used in the medical field.
Musk claimed that the chip will be used to treat brain diseases such as spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease and neurological diseases.
On August 29, 2020, Musk demonstrated the "brain-computer interface" technology Neuralink on live pigs.
The device realizes accurate prediction of pig behavior trajectory.
On April 9, 2021, Neuralink will show monkeys playing the simulated table tennis game "Pong" with their minds.
A brain-computer interface was successfully implanted in the monkey's brain to control the racket through brain waves.
The device in the brain records the information about the neuron firing when the monkey plays a game and learns to predict the actions it will make.
Musk said: "Neuralink works well on monkeys. We actually did a lot of tests just to confirm that it is very safe and reliable. We can also safely take out the Neuralink device."
"We hope to apply the Neuralink device to the first humans next year, that is, those with severe spinal cord injuries, such as quadriplegia." Musk added, "I think there is a chance that people who cannot walk or cannot use their arms can recover again. Action force."
According to Musk, Neuralink's "standards for implantable devices are much higher than the FDA's requirements."
People who have a Neuralink brain chip implanted can give instructions to the computer only with their brains.
Musk has repeatedly reiterated that Neuralink's brain chip is tailor-made for paralyzed patients.
At the same time, it also allows humans to "expand" their capabilities.
Musk reiterated the timetable for Neuralink products in 2022 on his Twitter.
He said: "Next year, when we install equipment on the human body, the progress will be accelerated."
According to a report by the US "Technology Times" in 2020, Neuralink's brain chip faces many doubts.
Critics expressed their concerns about the vulnerability of the chip to hackers or cybercriminals.