The FDA has given Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink breakthrough device designation for the experimental brain chip implant that may help to restore vision. This tag is given to certain experimental medical devices that might provide treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions and is intended to speed up the development and review of devices currently under development, provided they meet safety standards. Blindsight is one of 58 devices to receive this designation this year.
“Blindsight” implant
“The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time. To set expectations correctly, the vision will be at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually, it has the potential be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge,” said Elon Musk on X.
This device has a chip that can process and transmit neural signals which can be transmitted to devices like a computer or smartphone. The trial for the brain implant is expected to enroll 3 patients to evaluate the device in a study that will take several years to complete sometime in 2031.
Musk’s view on artificial intelligence
Neuralink was founded in 2016 because Musk wants to develop these brain implants so that humans can stop being outpaced by artificial intelligence, in fact, he has done many interviews stating as much.
Musk frequently warns people of the “profound risks to society and humanity” that are posed by super-powerful AI tools and calls for a pause on training any system that is more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4.
“My guess is that we’ll have AI that is smarter than any one human probably around the end of next year,” the tech giant recently predicted in an interview with Nicolai Tangem on X, adding that within the next 5 years, he believes that the capabilities of AI will probably exceed that of all humans.
The company is working on developing tiny threads that would be inserted into the human brain to possibly help treat injuries, and trauma, as well as make people smarter. Back in 2020, according to Musk the mission statement of Neuralink was “If you can’t beat em, join em”.
The Neuralink PRIME Study
Neuralink is also developing another implant to help paralyzed people use digital devices with their brains. Noland Arbaugh became the first human to receive the implant, and since the successful operation, he has been able to play video games, browse the internet, use social media, move a laptop cursor, and learn how to design 3D objects, all with his mind.
“When an injury occurs to the brain or spinal cord, it can disrupt the normal functioning of the entire nervous system. This can affect a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. We remain hopeful that a BCI device may enable a digital bridge between the brain and spinal cord to potentially improve the quality of life for people with severe spinal cord injuries,” commented Rory Murphy, MD, neurosurgeon and associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute and an investigator at Barrow for the PRIME Study.
Second Implant
Those who have followed this progress will be aware that Musk announced that Neuralink has successfully implanted another computer brain chip interface with 1,024 electrodes into a second human trial patient. He is confident in the progress that has been made, and has gone as far as to say that he would be comfortable with implanting one of these chips into his own children’s brains.
Musk is confident
Direct from the Neuralink website “Brain-computer interfaces have the potential to change lives for the better. We want to bring this technology from the lab into peoples’ homes.”
“If you ask a question like, in my opinion, would I be comfortable implanting this in one of my kids or something like that at this point, if they’re in a serious … like let’s say if they broke their neck, would I be comfortable doing it? I would,” Musk said during a question-and-answer session at a Neuralink event. “We’re at the point where, at least in my opinion, it would not be dangerous,” Musk added.
Even though Musk is confident, there is much testing to go through to determine if it is truly safe. This research has come under some scrutiny for various reasons, it will be interesting to see how this develops, and where it leads.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://worldhealth.net/news/neuralink-gets-oked-recruit-human-trials/
Elon Musk on X: “The Blindsight device from Neuralink / X
https://worldhealth.net/news/race-worlds-first-bionic-eye/
https://www.wsj.com/tech/neuralink-gets-fda-green-light-for-second-patient-
