Elon Musk's private neuroscience company Neuralink has been making headlines due to the advancements they have been attempting to develop in the past years. Among the most popular technologies that the firm is trying to achieve is the brain chip for humans. With the tiny board, people could exhibit physical tasks simply by processing their thoughts.
Neuralink and Brain-Computer Interface
SpaceX chief Elon Musk speaks during a press conference after the launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 2, 2019. - NASA and SpaceX celebrated the successful launch March 2 of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long round trip to the International Space Station -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break.
The brain-computer interface (BCI) was developed to cater to the population with specific brain conditions. In the past, Neuralink tested the brain chip on several animal subjects to observe any improvements and side effects. The experiments were highly-publicized to detail every improvement that needed to be done.
Today, Neuralink is expected to conduct a series of BCI experiments on humans. The enterprise is currently pooling experts to assemble a team that could manage the experiments in the best possible way. But even though Elon Musk's company has been hitting improvements on creating the seemingly-impossible device, many experts and entrepreneurs related to neurosciences believe that the core tech Neuralink uses is already outdated.
Salt Lake City's medical technology firm Blackrock Neurotech, a company that specializes in BCI systems, gave a few insights regarding the matter. According to an Observer report, CEO Marcus Gerhardt said that Elon Musk's team is evidently innovative, but some of the techs they have presented to the public are already outdated.
Neuralink is still in the phase of getting regulatory approval to continue testing their brain chips on human subjects. On the other hand, Blackrock Neurotech had already gone through implanting BCI devices on over 30 patients covered with clinical studies led by international scientists.
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Brain Chip Experiment Outdated
Gerhardt said that what Neuralink exhibited on their previous pig and monkey experiments had already been conducted a decade ago by the scientific community. According to him, the experts behind the initial studies may have been hardened on the situation because there were no acknowledgments given to them. Throughout the research, Elon Musk barged into the subject, and suddenly, everyone was amazed, Gerhardt added.
Scholars from the community also expressed their side about the animal experiments conducted by Neuralink. Last year, the company published a video in which a link-implanted monkey played a video game just by thinking moves on its mind. According to a Business Insider report, a similar experiment emerged in 2002.
University of Pennsylvania's medical and health policy expert Anna Wexler said that the principle behind a monkey or even a human subject controlling digital materials is not new, Observer reporter. Wexler also said in a STAT report that they still doubt the development of a precise consumer-grade mind-reading system in the near future.
Throughout the controversy on BCI-based devices, Gerhardt still sees potential from Neuralink's upcoming contribution to the field. The expert said that he is happy with Elon Musk's interest in technology and that it is among the billionaire's areas of focus.
With the popularity and awareness Elon Musk provides to the public, Gerhardt believes that Neuralink is on the right spot. The Blackrock Neurotech executive added that Elon Musk accepts that he is not the top developer in the field of BCI, but he will manage from through the remaining companies that are up and running.
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