Neuralink - Elon Musk's device will be implanted in the brain of people who suffer from neurological conditions to ease and potentially cure symptoms.
Thanks to beyondthecharter and their article, we can think carefully about our future with Neuralink and weigh up the pros and cons of Neuralink and how it could affect us, our relationships, and society.
What Do We Know About Neuralink?
Elon Musk recently overtook Bill Gates as the second richest man in the world. Elon Musk is behind some of the biggest technologies within the last 20 years and is considered one of the front runners in upcoming technologies. Over the last two decades, Musk has been behind some of the biggest advancements in technology, including:
X.com
PayPal
Spacelink
Starlink
Human Space Flight
Tesla
And many more, as well as being the mastermind behind Neuralink. Neuralink is one of the most important advancements in technology in recent years. Technology hopes to help people with paraplegia. People with other serious brain or nervous system impairments such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and spinal cord injuries to overcome and "cure" their issues to live a "normal" life.
Musk recently described the device as a sort of "Fitbit" for brains - and the wireless device will be installed inside the brain to help reconnect the missing, injured, or damaged areas. Different devices have been used to electronically stimulate nerves for people suffering from conditions such as deafness and loss of hearing for decades. Musk intends to be the first to truly "fuse" the human brain with artificial intelligence.
Primary trials have been successful, and Musk stated in an interview earlier in 2020 that the device would be first tested on humans in the next year. If the device does take off, it could be brilliant for people suffering from a multitude of health - although the pandemic appears to have delayed this - issues across the planet - but will it work?
Neuralink Using Cases: Predicting a Successful Future
In human's Neuralink is still in the testing stages, however previous studies in animals such as pigs have seen positive results. The coin-sized AI computer chip was implanted into a pig named Gertrude in early 2020 and is the first step in implanting the same technologies in humans.
But what is the idea behind the science?
The "AI chip" will be implanted in the brains of people who struggle with:
Alzheimer's
Memory loss
Depression
Brain injury
Dementia
And similar brain impairments help the user overcome their issues and illnesses and live a normal life, whether it be reversing the effects of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia - or aiding a person who has never walked to take their first steps.
On paper, the idea seems brilliant - but AI is still something that has a lot of questions and potential risks behind it. In several different blockbuster films, AI takes over, and while they are just movies, artificial intelligence teaches itself, and there is no possible way to know how it will develop over time.
Can Neuralink Affect Our Relationships?
If someone you love loses the ability to talk, express themselves, or walk unaided - Musk's technology could be the key to bringing our loved ones back to us. However, as previously demonstrated in some films and books, if AI doesn't exactly replicate the person you miss, is it worth it in the end?
If Musk's technology works well, the device could help bring back our relationships with people who we have lost through brain impairment - but who are physically still here. Many older people may age quietly, younger people with other issues could be brought back to us.
For the people who lose their partners to early onset of Alzheimer's, tragic brain injuries, or even advanced cancers that damage the brain - this could be the technology to bring back people lost too soon. Whether it's a parent, a friend, or the love of your life - Neuralink is being tested to help bring those people back to themselves.
Young couples often struggle to survive tragic brain impairments, and technology like this could be the perfect way to save young romances and bring young people back together again. But what happens if it doesn't quite work.
AI hasn't been tested before - the technology is entirely new, and we have no definite way of predicting the future and how it will affect technology. It is already used to manipulate marketing through our social media pages and buying habits - and having AI implanted into humans could, potentially, have disastrous consequences. - Especially if it doesn't work exactly as predicted.
