Neuralink has started its activities first human clinical study, as reported by its owner, Elon Musk. A major step in the research of hybrid brain-machine technologies, or what is the same, the connection of human brains with artificial intelligence in the framework of “neuronal links”, which allows to find solutions that do not currently exist for the treatment of neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or paralysis due to traffic accidents.

All of this will sound familiar because science fiction precedes medical science even in film Transcendence the great Johnny Depp as a mad scientist builds a self-sustaining computer that ends up creating a technological singularity… and a monumental mess. The problem, as with everything coming from AI, is the general distrust of how it will be used and how far they intend to go, because the creation of brain-machine hybrids is quite scary. And also great hope for many patients.

No test or patient details were provided other than to announce: “The first human received a Neuralink implant yesterday and is recovering well. The first results show a promising nerve spike detection«they assure.

It must be said that BCI technology (implantable brain-computer interface) have been researched for a long time and also have their origins in science fiction, in the term cyborg, created in 1960 as a reference to an “enhanced” human being with a technological part that would allow them to survive in an alien environment. Coming down to earth, it should be said that this is not the first implant of its kind, but Musk’s financial muscle and hiring some of the world’s best scientists in their field allows us to guess thatThis company’s research is the most advanced on the planet.

So much so that some scientists have expressed concern, wondering if Neuralink is ready to undertake such ambitious research. In any case, the human trial has mandatory approval from the US FDA and the first implantation is already underway.

Neuralink PRIME trial version

These technologies seek a natural channel of human-machine interaction as well as access to all human cognitive and emotional information. To do this, you need to create a file brain-computer interfacebased on the acquisition of brain waves, which are subsequently processed and interpreted by a computer.

The PRIME study will investigate three different (but essential) parts, efficacy and safety testing. The first is the N1 implant, a brain-computer device designed by the company that has demonstrated advances such as flexible “fibers” that are less likely to damage the brain than materials used in previous interfaces.

These fibers also create the possibility of transferring a larger volume of data “up to 3,072 electrodes per set distributed in 96 fibers”. The strands are 4 to 6 μm wide, making them considerably thinner than a human hair. Problems to overcome include overheating of the chips and the general risks associated with placing a lithium-ion battery in the human brain. Not to mention cyber security: what would happen if the implant was hacked by an outsider?

In addition to developing the threads, Neuralink’s next big advance is a machine (the R1 robot that looks like a sewing machine) that automatically inserts them. These threads connect sensors implanted on the surface of the skull and transmit information to the so-called computer Link which is located behind the outer ear. Finally, the N1 software A user application will allow people with paralysis to control external devices. The goal is the one mentioned. A patient who is implanted with a brain-computer interface capable of decoding movement signals, he will be able to control devices that assist movement by just thinking.

The first human experiments are being carried out by a group of neuroscientists at Stanford University and are undoubtedly exciting, as are the ethical questions and dangers of merging humans with machines as monumental. Let’s hope that Musk, who one day declared this “Humans had to connect with artificial intelligence if they didn’t want them to end up being something useless and unnecessary« Let the scientists work and they will achieve practical applications in the fight against terrible paralysis like ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.