“Click, click, click.” The sound of a mouse moving across the screen, but the patient's hands are still. It is the "magic" of Neuralink's neural technology, which will now have its second "brain pioneer". Elon Musk smiles, the magnificent possibilities of the medium multiply: and with them, clearly, also the ethical questions.
“Only” about 400 of the 1.024 electrodes surgically implanted in the patient's motor cortex currently provide signals. Although the improvement it is around 10%. compared to the first intervention, I wouldn't throw it away.
The brain as a joystick: Musk's neural bet
Elon Musk never stops. As if Tesla, Boring Company, SpaceX and he launched himself for some time in the most ambitious challenge of all: hacking the human brain. With Neuralink, his neural technology startup, the American tycoon is trying to transform our thoughts into digital commands. And it seems like he's succeeding, despite the ups and downs.
The second patient has just received the brain implant: a chip the size of a coin, with 1.024 electrodes thinner than a hair. Stuff that makes the microchips in our smartphones look like technological dinosaurs. But does it really work? Musk says yes, and who are we to doubt the guy who wants to colonize Mars (more or less)?
From paralysis to gaming: the first triumph
The first “implanted” patient, Noland Arbaugh, he said enthusiastically "despite everything" after the first 100 days of brain-computer interface. I can't blame him: he went from not being able to lift a finger to racing around Mario Kart using only his thoughts. In other words, from the wheelchair to the virtual podium. Clearly it's not all rosy: some electrodes have become disconnected, reducing the chip's capabilities. A reminder that you should always proceed step by step, with caution.
Progress is good and the patient appears to have made a full recovery, with no adverse effects that we are aware of. The patient is able to move the mouse on the screen simply by thinking.
Elon Musk
Translated: the patient is fine and can play Civilization VI with his mind. Not bad for someone who until recently couldn't even scratch his nose.
The price of progress
If there is a dark side to this bright story, and there is, it concerns the treatment of laboratory animals. Monkeys with “bloody diarrhea” and “partial paralysis”? Not exactly guinea pig heaven. Musk assures that Neuralink does its best for animal welfare. Let's just hope the next step isn't a neural “Planet of the Apes.”
The future is here, and it's neural. We may soon see paralyzed people walking again, or even humans connecting directly to the internet. While the second pioneer (whose life and miracles we will soon learn about) dreams of a "closer symbiosis between human and digital intelligence", the rest of us ask ourselves: are we ready to become cyborgs?
And most importantly, who will control the switch?