Elon Musk's brain-interface technology business, Neuralink, shared its plans to begin implanting its microchips in humans next year.
The entrepreneur is "cautiously confident" that the implants will allow tetraplegics and quadriplegics to regain full bodily functionality. He went on to say that the company's requirements for implanting the brain-computer interface device are greater than those set by the FDA.
Elon Musk: Neuralink to Start Implanting Chips in 2022
During a live broadcast interview at The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit on Monday, Musk stated that Neuralink plans to begin implanting chips in 2022
Musk explained that Neuralink has been tested in monkeys and is "safe and reliable." He also stated that the Neuralink brain chip may be removed with ease.
"We hope to have this in our first humans - which will be people that have severe spinal-cord injuries like tetraplegics, quadriplegics - next year, pending FDA approval," he said per Daily Mail.
When it comes to implanting the chips, he claims that Neuralink adheres to far stricter requirements than the FDA.
Musk had wanted to start human testing by late 2020 in 2019, however, this was postponed. In February, he said that Neuralink will begin implanting the device in individuals by the end of 2021.
This time, it appears like Musk is overconfident that the trials will begin in 2022.
In a tweet, Musk reaffirmed the 2022 deadline. "Progress will accelerate when we have devices in humans (hard to have nuanced conversations with monkeys) next year," he said.
Replacing faulty/missing neurons with circuits is the right way to think about it. Many problems can be solved just bridging signals between existing neurons.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2021
Progress will accelerate when we have devices in humans (hard to have nuanced conversations with monkeys) next year.
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Neuralink's Purpose
Elon Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016. It has been working on a chip since then. This specific chip will be implanted into a human brain and will stimulate and record brain activity simultaneously.
According to Musk, people who have Neuralink's brain chip implanted will be able to send commands to computers just by thinking about it. It might be interpreted as an attempt to defeat emerging artificial intelligence industries.
Although not directly mentioned, this technology might help humans get the upper hand if AI fails, which most experts believe is a far-fetched possibility. It's conceivable, but not right now.
The entrepreneur has often stated that Neuralink's brain chip is far more than the media portrays it. It's designed for those who are paralyzed, he added. Simultaneously, it permits people to 'extend' their skills.
Neuralink's brain chip has also been discovered to have medicinal uses. Musk has stated that the chip they're working on will be effective in treating spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, and neurological ailments.
In February, he stated that Neuralink might begin implanting the technology in humans by the end of 2021. Musk said in 2019 (per The Verge) that Neuralink aimed to start human testing before 2020.
A monkey is literally playing a video game telepathically using a brain chip!!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2021
In April, Neuralink tweeted a video showing a monkey using a Neuralink gadget to play a video game.
Neuralink also said in a blog post that it will use the $205 million raised to further develop its technology, which would allow quadriplegics to operate digital gadgets with their minds.
The full or partial paralysis of the arms and legs is known as quadriplegia or tetraplegia.
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