GUWAHATI: Working towards the future of brain-computer interface technology, Neuralink, the visionary company spearheaded by Elon Musk, is poised to embark on its maiden human testing procedure.
Elon Musk made the landmark announcement via a message on Twitter, unveiling the company's profound ambitions in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) risk mitigation and human-machine interaction which conveyed, "In the long term, Neuralink hopes to play a role in AI risk civilizational risk reduction by improving human to AI (and human to human) bandwidth by several orders of magnitude."
The potential implications of this technological leap are as staggering as they are transformative. Elon Musk provocatively asked, "Imagine Stephen Hawking had this."
The human trials, a step into uncharted territory, are expected to welcome individuals grappling with paralysis stemming from cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The revolutionary technology at the heart of Neuralink's mission offers the prospect of reinstating full-body mobility to those who have long yearned for such a restoration.
Neuralink's innovative approach involves the utilisation of a robotic surgical procedure for the precision implantation of a brain-computer interface (BCI) device. This cutting-edge device will be strategically positioned in the brain region responsible for orchestrating deliberate movements. The promise of this endeavour is nothing short of revolutionary, with the potential to redefine the boundaries of human-machine interaction.
Notably, Neuralink had initially sought approval to perform implantation procedures on ten patients. However, discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensued to address safety concerns raised by the regulatory body. The exact count of FDA-approved procedures has yet to be disclosed.
