With Neuralink, as with so many of Elon Musk’s ventures, it is important to separate science from speculation, product development from wishful thinking. Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) on January 30 that “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” Given that Neuralink had received approval from the US Food & Drug Administration in September last year, the announcement was somewhat expected. Last year, there was controversy over the company’s disclosures, which led to investigations into dead study animals and the transportation of hazardous materials. The surgery, however, marks an important milestone — the beginning of human-computer interfaces that can possibly address physical and cognitive limitations and disabilities. Moving forward, who controls the technology and how it is distributed will be important in determining its impact.
Neuralink is building on work done by laboratories and companies that came before it — the first Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) dates back to the 1970s. The wireless device implanted by Neuralink contains a chip and arrays of electrodes, which are meant to register thoughts related to movement. Eventually, if successful, the device should enable people with disabilities to move a cursor or type just by thinking about it. The initial users are likely to be people who have lost their limbs. But as with SpaceX and Tesla, the claims made by Musk around Neuralink’s BCI make it seem like the science fiction future is now. Musk envisions a future where Neuralink’s brain implants seamlessly merge with cognitive functions, offering a direct interface between the human mind and computers. Whether or not this comes to pass, it is important to approach the technological frontier with a discerning eye.
