What Is Neuralink?

Implantable brain-computer interfaces sound like something from The Matrix. But today, this near-future technology is almost a reality thanks to research from companies like Neuralink. Let's look at this radical technology and what the brain implant can do to help us communicate with external devices like phones and computers with just thoughts.

Who Built Neuralink?

Neuralink is the name of the company (and technology) founded by Elon Musk, who also heads Tesla and SpaceX. The private venture launched in 2016 with an initial team of seven scientists and engineers.

The company aims to build a better future for humanity by creating medical devices that enhance and improve the lives of people through advanced neurotechnology. The growing team of experts is combining their knowledge of neuroscience, biochemistry, and robotics to design the world's first brain-implantable chip called Telepathy that humans can use without moving any limbs.

As Neuralink's mission statement reads:

Create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.

How far have they come? After initial (and controversial) trials on primates, the company opened FDA-approved human trials in 2023. According to reports, the first patient with the Neuralink device (the N1 Implant) managed to play chess online just by thinking.

These are very early days, as the three primary technologies involved—the implant, the surgical robot, and the software have to meet stringent FDA approval cycles before being marketable.

What Is Neuralink Supposed to Do?

Unlike many other brain-computer interfaces (BCI), Neuralink is designed to be small and unobtrusive. The company says it intends it to be "cosmetically invisible" with a thickness of a mere 8mm.

The N1 prototype implant contains 1024 electrodes and 64 microscopic threads. The threads are surgically implanted into the brain and strategically placed to record and stimulate neural activity. The electrodes measure brain activity and translate it into action.

The implant is designed to be invisible when placed under the skin. It will be wirelessly powered from the outside with a compact inductive charger.

The Neuralink technology also includes a specially designed surgical robot, as the threads and electrodes cannot be inserted by hand.

The device is hermetically sealed in a biocompatible casing to withstand harsher physiological conditions than those in the human body.

At a Neuralink livestream in 2020, Elon Musk likened the device to a Fitbit inside our skulls. The goal is to seamlessly implant it within an hour without general anesthesia. He also said it wouldn't be scalable if neurosurgeons had to do it with a major surgery.

What Is Neuralink Used For?

The profile of the volunteers Neuralink is seeking right now gives an idea of its potential applications. The clinical trials are looking to enlist people ages 22 and above who have quadriplegia due to a spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This type of paralysis causes loss of motor movements and the body's automatic processes.

Ultimately, Neuralink is being designed to be used in a variety of applications. Apart from its main goals to help people with disabilities, such as paralysis or blindness, the technology also has the potential to enhance cognitive abilities.

Using real-time biofeedback and a special algorithm, future users might be able to train their brains for focus, memory, and attention. Musk has also stated his wish to enable humans and artificial intelligence (AI) to work together in symbiosis through devices like the Neuralink.

If Neuralink is successful, then it will be a groundbreaking advancement. It would allow us to communicate with computers using our thoughts, ultimately enhancing cognitive abilities and improving our quality of life.

But it's important to manage expectations. Mapping the brain itself is incredibly complex, and even after decades of research, we still don't understand it completely. Just imagine the amount of information in a network of 100 billion neurons and over 100 trillion synapses.

The idea is promising, and hopefully, it will advance science for a section of the population that needs it the most.