Billionaire Elon Musk’s Neuralink implanted its brain chip in a person for the first time, aiming to connect brains to devices and restore movement. Despite promises of revolutionary technology, ethical concerns persist around safety, privacy, and animal testing.
(Photo by Joel Sagat/AFP/Getty Images)
A year after getting approval, Elon Musk’s company Neuralink has put its brain chip in a person for the first time.
Musk said the person who got the chip is doing well. The chip can help people move again and connect their brains to computers. However, there isn’t proof of what Musk says, and Neuralink hasn’t given many details.
Musk thinks Neuralink will change technology and medicine, but people worry about the chip’s safety and tests.
Here’s what you should know about Neuralink and its tests:
What is Neuralink and what does it do?
Neuralink is a company that Musk started in 2016. They make a small chip that goes in the brain to connect it to computers. It’s like a coin put in the skull with thin wires into the brain. This chip can send brain signals to devices like smartphones using Bluetooth. Musk hopes people can control devices just by thinking. Also, it might help people with problems like not being able to move.
What testing has Neuralink done before?
Neuralink tried its chip on monkeys and pigs. Monkeys played basic video games or moved a cursor on a screen with the chip. Some monkeys had issues like paralysis or seizures after getting the chip.
Are other companies doing similar projects?
Yes, there are about 40 projects like this in the US. One company, Synchron, put its chip in a person without cutting the skull. Their goal is mainly medical, unlike Neuralink, which also wants to connect to devices.
What are the worries about Neuralink?
Some worry about the safety of the chip and the surgery. They also worry about privacy because the chip connects the brain to outside devices. Also, Neuralink got in trouble for not following rules about transporting animal parts.
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