Elon Musk confirms first Neuralink brain chip with patient in recovery

A Neuralink brain chip was implanted* in a human for the first time, tech entrepreneur* Elon Musk confirmed this week.

Naturally the CEO of Space X, Tesla and X posted the news using the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron* spike detection*,” he wrote on January 30.

Neuralink, the neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk in 2016, aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers.

The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders* like ALS* or Parkinson’s*, as well as restore vision for people who are born blind.

It might also one day achieve a symbiotic* relationship between humans and artificial intelligence*.

Musk added: “(The brain chip) enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.

“Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs. Imagine if Stephen Hawking* could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer*. That is the goal.”

He confirmed the first Neuralink product was called Telepathy*.

If Neuralink is successful, millions of people around the world living with paralysis* could be assisted.

One of the world’s richest people, Musk has also hinted the technology could go a step further — towards a world previously only imagined in sci-fi shows like Japanese anime* Ghost in the Shell*.

Among his goals is to, “achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence” and that could involve merging humans with AI, according to Vox.

The technology has previously been tested on terminally ill monkeys and Musk claimed the chip had not caused any deaths.

“Neuralink has never caused the death of a monkey … in fact, we now have monkeys who have had Neuralink implants for two to three years, and they’re doing great,” he said last year.

He described the monkeys as living in “paradise”, despite reports the primates had suffered painful deaths.

The start-up last year said it won approval from US regulators* to test its brain implants in people.

Neuralink’s technology will mainly work through an implant called the “Link” — a device about the size of five stacked coins that is placed inside the human brain through invasive* surgery.

According to data company Pitchbook, last year California-based Neuralink had more than 400 employees and had raised at least $363 million.

Though he wins most of the headlines, Musk is not alone in trying to make advances in the field, which is officially known as brain-machine or brain-computer interface* research.

Hit with delays, the tycoon* had reportedly reached out to join forces with implant developer Synchron about a potential investment.

Unlike Neuralink’s Link, its implant version does not require cutting into the skull to install it.

The Australia-based Synchron implanted its first device in a US patient in July 2022.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• implanted: inserted, embedded, put in place
• entrepreneur: someone who attempts to make money by starting a business and accepting a degree of risk to do it
• neurons: nerve cells of the brain, neurons are the fundamental unit of the nervous system that transmit information to different parts of the body
• spike detection: most neurons communicate by pulses, also called action potentials or spikes
• neurological disorders: problems affecting the brain, nervous system and spinal cord
• ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord
• Parkinson’s: neurodegenerative disorder that affects mainly dopamine-producing neurons, impacting movement and mood
• symbiotic: when organisms, people, or things exist together in a beneficial way
• artificial intelligence: the ability of a computer or computer-controlled robot to perform human tasks
• Stephen Hawking: Hawking (8 January 1942 – 14 March 2018) was an English cosmologist, or someone who studies the universe as a whole, who significantly influence thinking about the origins of the universe
• auctioneer: person who sells goods or property at an auction and calls out the prices that people offer
• telepathy: the ability to know what someone is thinking or to communicate with them mentally
• paralysis: a condition in which you are unable to move all or part of your body due to illness or injury
• anime: a style of animation originating in Japan
• Ghost in the Shell: manga series and film that imagines a futuristic world where brain-hacking is rampant
• regulators: people and organisation that checks businesses are working according to official rules or laws
• invasive: any medical procedure that breaks the skin and goes into the body
• interface: where two different systems meet and have an effect on each other
• tycoon: a person who has succeeded in business or industry and become very rich and powerful

EXTRA READING

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QUICK QUIZ

1. It is hoped the neurotechnology will be used to treat which neurological disorders?
2. What is the first Neuralink product called?
3. What did Musk say the brain chip enabled?
4. The brain chip technology was tested on what type of animal?
5. What is the “Link”?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Neuralink – yay or nay?
Would you be willing to be the next Neuralink implant recipient? Write a paragraph to explain your reasoning based on what you have learnt about the implant from this story.

If you answered no, what would need to happen in order for you to change your mind? What further evidence is required for you to be convinced of the benefits?

Time: allow 15-20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Ethical Understanding

2. Extension
Write a science-fiction story based in the future where there has been mass adoption of implants such as Neuralink. The impacts of the implants in your story may be negative or positive.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the event being discussed in the article, or for the interview.

Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.