By Julian Castillo
May 10, 2024, 12:51 PM EDT
The world of technology and neuroscience was rocked this week with unexpected news coming from Neuralink, the brain chip company founded by Elon Musk. The long awaited Neuralink’s first human implant has faced initial difficultieswith the device beginning to detach from the patient’s skull, reducing its ability to effectively capture data.
Chip failure
The patient in question is Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old man who has been paralyzed from the shoulders down due to a diving accident eight years ago. Arbaugh underwent the procedure in January, hoping that the Neuralink chip would allow him to control outside technology with just his mind. This first step towards mind-machine integration was closely followed by the scientific and technological community, eager to see the results of this bold undertaking.
The Neuralink chip, with its 1,024 electrodes on 64 wires, is a marvel of miniaturized engineering. Designed to collect data on the brain’s neural activity and translate thoughts into actions, it was seen as hope for those with severe motor disabilities like Arbaugh. However, hopes were dampened when vSeveral of the chip’s threads retracted from the patient’s brain in the weeks after the procedurewhich resulted in a decrease in the effectiveness of the electrodes.
How secure are Neuralink chips?
This revelation raises serious questions about the safety and long-term viability of Neuralink technology. Although the company has responded quickly, adjusting its algorithms and recording techniques to improve accuracy and patient controllability, the incident highlights the technical and biological challenges inherent to the brain-computer interface.
Neuralink has insisted that the issue does not pose a direct risk to Arbaugh’s safety., but discussions about the possibility of removing the implant, known as “explantation,” have arisen among those involved in the project. This dilemma underscores the complexity of working in the field of neurotechnology, where each advance is accompanied by a unique set of ethical and medical challenges.
Despite these initial setbacks, Arbaugh continues to use the Neuralink BCI system for several hours a day, highlighting their dedication to the project and their hope in the transformative potential of this technology. His words reflect the optimism that initially surrounded Neuralink and its mission to change the world through technological innovation.
The history of Neuralink So far it has been a roller coaster of emotions and expectations, from the initial enthusiasm to the initial challenges. As the company continues to refine its technology and address obstacles along the way, the world looks forward to seeing how this narrative will evolve and what impact it will have on the future of medicine and technology.
Keep reading:
– Elon Musk wants you to control your phone with your mind and this is how he plans to achieve it
– How Telepathy works, the brain chip that Elon Musk claims was implanted in a human (and what doubts it raises)
– “Companies already read our minds and will know even more with neurotechnology”