Elon Musk’s brain-implant company, Neuralink, reportedly has a waiting list of around 10,000 people eager to receive its experimental brain-computer interface. The company opened a ‘Patient Registry’ earlier this year, inviting individuals worldwide to sign up for future trials. So far, 12 clinical trial participants have received the device, using it to control computers purely through thought, with 13 more procedures expected before the end of the year.
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Currently, only people living with paralysis caused by conditions such as motor neurone disease or spinal cord injuries are eligible for the trials. However, Mr Musk has suggested that later versions of the chip may enable users without disabilities to “achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence”. He has also claimed that future developments could allow music to be streamed directly to the brain, restore sight to blind individuals, and even permit near-telepathic communication.
Speaking during a live broadcast in July, Mr Musk said: “It could even get to the point where you can upload your memories and essentially have a saved version of yourself… then download that into a robot body or a clone version of your original self.” He added, “I’m really getting into sci-fi here… but I do think stuff like that will be possible, which would give people a form of immortality.”
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Neuralink co-founder and president DJ Seo confirmed the size of the waiting list in a recent Morgan Stanley research report, which also raised ethical concerns about the technology’s long-term implications. “While the topic of many sci-fi books and films, brain-computer interfaces are the new frontier for humanity and will entail a host of moral, ethical, and legal-regulatory considerations along the way,” the report stated. The company’s current N1 implant, which connects to computers via Bluetooth, has already allowed participants to control robotic arms, browse the internet, and play video games such as Mario Kart using only their thoughts.
