Elon Musk has announced that Neuralink will implant the first chip in a human brain in 2023

Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that a wireless device developed by his neural chip company should do it Neural connection begin clinical trials on humans in about 6 months and that of its first applications scheduled for 2023 It will be there restoration of sight in the blind.

The interface, produced by the start-up Neuralink, would allow the interested party to communicate directly with the computers through thoughtsthe tycoon underlined.

The product consists of a small coin-shaped device and a series of wires and electrodes that are implanted after making a small incision in the skull, to place these components in the brain.

Also in the pipeline are brain chip interfaces that Musk admits could allow disabled patients to move and communicate again.

“Obviously we want to be extremely careful and make sure it’s going to work before you put it in a person,” he said.

At one point he referred to the evolution of the chip-inserting robot, known as Link or R1, to debugging tungsten needles, the production time of which has been drastically reduced, pointing towards future mass production.

The surgeon robot manages to establish all the connections in about 20 minutes safely, Musk said. Inside, a decoder trained by AI algorithms will translate neural activity into a cursor movement or key press.

The entrepreneur reported that he has already completed the procedure required by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the body responsible for regulating the use of drugs, products and surgical procedures for the public.

“Hopefully, we’ll probably be able to insert our first Neuralink into a human in six months,” Musk said to applause from those present. The conference was followed by millions of people around the world.

Neuralink: all ready

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, Texas, Neuralink has been conducting animal tests for the past few years as it seeks US regulatory approval to begin human clinical trials.

The first two human applications targeted by the Neuralink device will be vision restoration and the ability to move muscles in people who can’t, Musk said.

Therefore, one would be inserted into the spinal cord and could cure paralysis and another eye implant would be able to improve or restore human vision. “Even if someone never had sight, like if he was born blind, we believe we can restore his sight,” she added.

The event was originally scheduled for Oct. 31, but Musk postponed it days earlier without giving a reason. Neuralink’s last public presentation, more than a year ago, showed a monkey with a brain chip playing a computer game while thinking to itself.

Neuralink, however, is lagging behind. Musk said in a 2019 presentation that his goal was to receive regulatory approval by the end of 2020. He then told a conference in late 2021 that he hoped to begin human trials this year.

SL