In July of 2019, Elon Musk released a start up called “Neuralink” which is supposed to allow brains and computers to directly link together. The eventual goal is to build a “digital superintelligence layer” to link humans to developing AI technology, which he believes is humans’ greatest threat. Musk’s initial goal for Neuralink is to help people with brain or spinal cord injuries. This is huge, and has the potential to completely reshape technology as we know it. He has already tested it on monkeys and says they have been able to control computers with their brains.
Although he planned to have Neuralink up and running by now, he has an update today to show further research and illustrate how the program is working. It’s supposed to link the brain to a computer by installing slender electrodes into the brain – kind of like a sci fi movie, don’t you think?
Sources: https://www.cnet.com/news/elon-musk-neuralink-works-monkeys-human-test-brain-computer-interface-in-2020/
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/elon-musk-neuralink-update-how-to-watch-start-time-working-device-demo-friday/
Although I think Musk is right and this technology is the future, is inevitable and could save people from the potential dangers of AI, it’s also pretty terrifying to me. Technology is great and it has helped humanity a lot and brought us closer together, but I’m afraid to much ‘help’ could begin to hurt humanity. Elon Musk claims that neuralink could heal people with addictions and mental health issues and although that sounds great especially with the opioid and mental health epidemics going on in the United States I feel that taking away these sever issues could lead to limiting human emotion as a whole and although I could be wrong I feel that its just part of the human condition to have issues with these things and embracing technology shouldn’t mean rejecting humanity.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/elon-musk-brain-chip-neuralink-depression-addiction-a9612931.html
The idea of being able to link a brain to a computer is extremely interesting. It without a doubt does seem like something straight from a sci-fi movie. Implanting a chip into the brain of those suffering with neurological disorders is very beneficial, and it’s definitely a step forward in terms of using technology for healthcare. However, I don’t think Musk’s extreme goal will be easily achievable, at least not for a while. According to Wired, Musk “said that in the further future, a Neuralink would be able to record and replay memories, even save them to an external drive and download them into a robot body. He said people with implants would be capable of telepathy—not just sending and receiving words, but actual concepts and images” (Rogers). While that would be incredible, it doesn’t seem possible at this point, especially when there are issues in developing the Neuralink just for supporting those with brain and spinal cord injuries. Neuroscientist, Loren Frank, claims, “having that work in a human brain for a long time without problems, without destroying a bunch of blood vessels and so on, is a really hard biological problem” (Rogers). Hopefully, these issues will be solved soon and Neuralink can help people with neurological disorders. Also, it’d be nice to think that one day this technology could go even further to the extent that Musk dreams of, but i don’t think that will be happening for awhile, unfortunately.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/neuralink-is-impressive-tech-wrapped-in-musk-hype/
I saw an article on this a short time ago and it really intrigues me on how this is becoming a reality. From movies and games into the real world. While the applications are limitless this is also a tad bit concerning.
We can use technology like this to give people back their bodies or their limbs. Stroke victims or people who have been paralyzed could get the function of their bodies back through reconnecting to the “lost” areas. With amputees as well, this can be implemented into robotic limbs and the ability to effectively control them through Neuralink. We could essentially have a phone in our head or have our brains connected to our phones. Having our minds directly connected to AI can also create huge leaps in AI development and create a human-computer symbiosis. It can have military applications, such as a soldier relating information back to the base immediately or controlling robots to complete dangerous tasks in order to protect the lives of the soldiers. The uses are endless in a device like this.
Unfortunately, the issues that come along with this are also seemingly limitless. If we now have people “chipped” your privacy ad your very thoughts are now at risk. Everything can be hacked at some point and imagine the chip connected to your brain being hacked. Sure you may be able to control your computer with your thoughts, but your computer would then be able to record every thought you have.
We still have some time until any of this would be available to the public for normal everyday use, but people getting them implanted may be right around the corner. We will just have to see how it all works out once Neuralink has begun trials in humans.
Sources:
https://www.sme10x.com/technology/elon-musks-neuralink-the-good-idea-with-bad-consequences
https://www.inverse.com/innovation/neuralink-neuroscientists
This kind of technological advancement both intrigues me and freightens me. I think it is great that he is developing this product to help people with brain or spinal chord injuries; however, I can see this technology becoming the new normal. Something about having everybody being “chipped” does not sit right with me. What is good about this though is the good it can do for people who suffer from pain, illness, and addiction. I am interested to see where this product goes. Will this be the new normal for generations after me? Would it be widely available? Or is it just for the rich and powerful? MIT Technology Review stated Elon Musk saying, ” ‘On a species level, it’s important to figure out how we coexist with advanced AI, achieving some AI symbiosis,’ he said.”(Regalado, 2020). This is a good point. Can we coexist with AI technology?
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/30/1007786/elon-musks-neuralink-demo-update-neuroscience-theater/
I was watching the live stream where they showed ho they got the neuralink working on a pig. I can see why some people are cautious of tech like this due to movies like Ex Machina, but personally, I am excited for more things like this to come out.
One thing about the Neuralink that excites me is its health care abilities. Elon has made claims about the ability to cure paralysis. If these claims are true, it will definitely become a mainstay in the medical industry.
Overall, I believe that the Neuralink, if fully developed, will become a very popular item in the world, fighting health and other problems.
Soure: https://www.cnet.com/news/elon-musk-shows-neuralink-brain-implant-working-in-a-pig/
This type of technological advancement makes me very excited, yet very nervous. It makes me excited for people with spinal injuries or other injuries that make using a computer generally difficult. I think this chip could be a major improvement of life for its target audience. However, I worry about potential hacks into the system since the chip uses a bluetooth system to connect to an outside computer.
I think it may be possible for people to use these chips to study your thoughts and behavioral patterns. A hack into this system would result in everything you think being captured by someone that it should not be accessed by. For the sake of treating illnesses such as parkinsons, or helping disabled people have a more streamlined experience, this technology is great. However, it does have some serious concerns as to what people will be able to do with it once the technology is more commonplace.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/elon-musk-shows-neuralink-brain-implant-working-in-a-pig/
I saw this in the news earlier and am very excited to learn more about it. In my opinion, Elon Musk is one of the brightest minds of our generation. He is currently inventing and producing so many groundbreaking products/services that will help our country evolve in the near future. For example, Elon Musk is trialing Neuralink with a pig brain. With all this being said, the thought of computers and human brains being linked together kind of scares me. With this technology, Im sure some sort of “evil” computer could be created in a lab and used for the wrong purposes. Overall, I think its great that Elon Musk is helping with advancements of technology, and as long as there is a way to avoid power abuse it will be extremely beneficial to everyone.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53956683
I saw this in the morning and felt so exciting about it. Elon always devote himself to the research on the newest technology, technology that can change all human beings, and even the whole world. The “Neuralink” is absolutely among the most cutting-edge research field. According to cnet, Elon Musk demonstrated this startup technology with a device surgically implanted into the skull of a pig named Gertrude.
This technology can repair all brain problems theoretically such as restoring body language for the disabled and treating Alzheimer’s disease. However, thinking further, I am concerned that will a person’s brain becomes lazy or even shrinks due to the active work of the chip? Or if people rely entirely on chips to acquire knowledge and store them in categories, will everyone become the same person?
To sum up, I think this will be a great and helpful technology when everything is finalized and improved over time since it can make some people’s life more colorful.
SOURCE:
https://www.cnet.com/news/elon-musk-shows-neuralink-brain-implant-working-in-a-pig/
I tuned in for some of the press conference he held yesterday, and I was intrigued by what he was saying as well. It is interesting to note that he is trying to solve so many problems with one chip. The chip could be used for anything from Parkinsons disease, to curing addiction. For example, the Fox Business article states that the Neuralink chip could cure, “memory loss, seizures, hearing loss, extreme pain, blindness, paralysis, addiction, depression, insomnia, anxiety, strokes, and brain damage” (Julia Musto).I believe his primary motive is the long-term competition between humans and artificial intelligence, but being able to solve so many problems with one device is amazing.
Also, I think the fact that this technology is achievable is insane. As you said in your post, it does almost feel straight out of a sci-fi movie. They are also almost ready to start human testing which is another leap in the right direction. With all this technology it is hard to even imagine all the possibilities. There is a possibility that having chips in our brains will be the new standard and that is just crazy to think of. In conclusion, I would also agree that the Neuralink chip is a good thing for us as a society.
SOURCES:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/elon-musk-neuralink-shows-pig-with-successful-computer-chip-implant
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/08/musk-says-that-neuralink-implants-are-close-to-ready-for-human-testing/
“It’s like a Fitbit in your skull,” is how Elon himself described the implant which to me makes a lot of sense but is also extremely terrifying. I do agree that this feels like how every sci-fi movie starts before the technology starts evolving and eventually tries to take over the world. With America’s extreme fascination with these kinds of movies, I hope musk has taken this into account and the implant will actually be able to help people.
They have seen success with the implant in a pig as well and it did prove that it can help show brain activity. The idea that they would be able to use these brain communications to possibly help somebody walk again who was paralyzed or born without the ability would be amazing, Although they are far from successfully implementing this element it will be interesting to see how quickly and effectively the tests will continue to be. One day this technology could help a lot of people, or start the robot revolution, nevertheless, both would be very interesting.
Source:https://www.cnet.com/news/elon-musk-shows-neuralink-brain-implant-working-in-a-pig/
Yes, I saw this too, and found it to be incredibly impressive. However, it’s surprising that this is not the first time such an approach has been utilized. According to this Spectrum article by Emily Waltz, brain implants are being used as potential treatments for Psychiatric Disorders such as addiction, OCD, and PTSD.
The deep brain stimulation that Musk is likely trying to achieve is actually also being researched to try and treat illnesses such as Parkinsons disease. It works by manipulating the brain’s electrical waves to disrupt harmful, compulsive or certain repetitive behaviors.
Overall, I think this kind of technology is a big step in the right direction.
SOURCE:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/how-to-treat-psychiatric-disorders-with-brain-stimulation
Elon Musk is a renaissance man, but he’s also a one-man venture capitalist. By throwing money in many emerging technologies, he’s aiming to ensure that at least one of his ventures(hopefully more) works out, and he makes fantastic returns. With Neurallink being at the forefront of science, he’s investing in the offchance he can grab a large share of the human-computer interface market. Interestingly, this might allow him to advance Tesla, with brain-driven cars. According to Wired, “Mark Zuckerberg is also invested in brain-computer interfaces. At Facebook’s developer conference in 2017, the company demonstrated a technology that would supposedly allow people to “hear with their skin,” and last year, Facebook acquired the startup CTRL Labs, which is building a noninvasive neural interface.” It makes sense that if Elon’s competitors are branching into this field, he should too. I am really excited about this release, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the following days.
As I am writing this, I am watching the release Livestream(viewed on Youtube, link in Neuralink’s site). From the parts I viewed, the technology is not working quite well, at least in the pigs. At one point, the pig’s sensor did pick up a smell signal, which was pretty cool! Either way, if this is anything like the Cybertruck demo, people will still be interested, and Musk and Neuralink will be fine!
Sources: https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-implant-v2-demo/
https://www.neuralink.com/