The world’s digital transformation continues as Elon Musk claims Neuralink will be able to implant chips into human brains in six months.
The CEO said, “It’s like replacing a piece of your skull with a smartwatch.” The Neuralink chip would allow people to control devices with their thoughts.
The company demonstrated the device at its Show and Tell event, featuring a monkey typing messages on a screen with its mind.
How does the Neuralink chip work?
Photo Credit: spectrum.ieee.org
The chip has threads that link to your brain. “It’s like replacing a piece of your skull with a smartwatch, for lack of a better analogy,” Musk described.
A Neuralink chip is roughly the size of a coin, specifically a quarter in the United States.
DJ Seo, a co-founder of Neuralink, demonstrated how the company would install chips into a human brain.
He showed a robot surgeon inserting threads into specific parts of a mannequin’s brain. Also, Seo explained that only a robot could provide the precision required for a safe procedure.
He said 64 of these threads take roughly 15 minutes. Christine Odabashian, the leader of Neuralink’s hardware insertion team, said they are too small for human hands.
“Imagine taking a hair from your head and sticking it into jello covered by saran wrap, doing that to a precise depth and precision, and doing that 64 times in a reasonable amount of time.”
The Neuralink chip required wireless charging. However, Seo explained that it would charge quickly while avoiding magnetic interference.
In 2020, the company showed a monkey playing Pong with its mind. This year’s Show and Tell event featured the primate typing words on a screen.
It moved a cursor to select and input letters, displaying messages like “type” and “welcome to show and tell.”
Moreover, the demo showed the monkey charging their Neuralink chips by sitting on a wireless charger.
The company said it wanted the final product to be easily upgradeable. Elon Musk said, “I’m pretty sure you would not want an iPhone 1 in your head if an iPhone 14 were available.”
Conclusion
Neuralink chips may help people with disabilities perform regular daily activities. Soon, you might be able to send messages on Snapchat with only your thoughts!
Elon Musk also announced in the Show and Tell event that Neuralink needs to fill more jobs to move the chip from “prototype to product.”
You could take these opportunities by updating yourself with the latest tech trends. Fortunately, you can start by reading more Inquirer Tech articles.
Related Articles:
25 Best Deals for the Holidays – Gift Guide 2022