Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain interface company, reached a major milestone this week with Musk explains about X (formerly Twitter), “The first human received an implant yesterday and is recovering well.”
Driven by concerns that AI could soon surpass (or outsmart) humans, Musk first proposed the idea of a brain-to-computer interface. Neural side, in 2016. He envisioned an implant that could overcome the limitations inherent in human-computer interactions. Musk claimed that an interface that could read brain signals and transmit them directly to digital systems would vastly surpass our typical keyboard and mouse interactions.
Four years later, Musk demonstrated early clinical trials with one uncooperative pigand in 2021 the company installed the device in a monkey who used the interface to control a game Pong.
In a way, it was all fun and games – until this week, and Musk’s claim of a human trial and the introduction of new branding.
Neuralink’s first product is now called “Telepathy,” which, according to another Musk tweet, “enables control of your phone or computer, and through them, virtually any device, just by thinking.”
As expected, at least for now, these brain implants are not intended for everyone. In 2020, Musk explained that the goal is “to solve major spinal and brain problems with a seamless implanted device.” Musk noted this week that “the first 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’s the goal.”
What is Neuralink Telepathy?
Neural connection devices such as Telepathy are bio-secure implants that consist of small disk-like devices (about the thickness of four coins stuck together) with ultra-fine wires running from them that connect to different parts of the brain. The filaments read neural spikes and a computer interface interprets these to understand the subject’s intentions and translate them into action on, for example, a phone or a desktop computer. In this first trial, Musk noted that “early results show promising detection of neuron spikes,” but he did not elaborate on whether the patient was able to control anything with his mind.
Musk did not describe the surgical implant process. But in 2020, Neuralink introduced its Link surgical robot, which it promised would implant the Neuralink devices with minimal pain, blood, and, we suspect, trauma. Considering the implant is under the skin and skull and sits on the brain, we’re not sure how that’s possible. It is also unclear whether Neuralink used Link to install ‘Telepathy’.
The new branding isn’t that far-fetched. Although most people think of telepathy as people communicating thoughts to each other, the definition is “the communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses.”
A telephone in your head
Still, Musk has a habit of using exaggerations when describing Neuralink. During an early demonstration, he said only half-jokingly, “It’s like your phone ringing in your head.” He also later added, “In the future, you will be able to save and replay memories.”
However, now that the first Neuralink Telepathy device has been successfully installed, Musk appears to be a little more cautious. There was no press conference or parading of the patient in front of reporters. All we have are these few tweets and scant details about a brain implant that Musk hopes will help humans stay ahead of rapidly advancing AIs.
It’s worth noting that, despite all the blunders and sometimes offensive rhetoric, Musk was more right than he knew about the state of AI in 2024. In 2016, there was no ChatGPT, Google Bard, or Microsoft CoPilot. We didn’t have AI in Windows and Photoshop’s Firefly, realistic AI images and videos, or realistic AI deepfakes. Concerns about AI taking away jobs are now real, and the idea of humans being left behind by artificial intelligence sounds less like a science fiction fantasy and more like our future.
Do these fears mean we are now more likely to sign up for our brain implants? Musk is betting on it.