What is Neuralink?
Neuralink was founded by Elon Musk in July of 2016. The aim of Neuralink is to push humanity to a higher level of cognitive reasoning by merging man and machine, combining human intelligence with artificial intelligence. Musk claims that without Neuralink, humans would be unable to keep up with artificial intelligence advancements. Musk has named this brain-computer interface technology “neural lace” up to this point. Neural lace is an ultra-thin mesh that is embedded in the brain and forms a body of electrodes that can detect brain activity. At this time, it’s unclear how far along this technology is in its project development. However, Neural lace will eventually enable humans to upload and download data directly from a computer.
How do you insert the Neural lace?
To inject the neural lace, a small needle with the rolled-up mesh is inserted into the brain, and the mesh is then injected. When the mesh is injected, it unravels and encircles the brain. The neural lace will gradually merge with the human brain, forming a seamless “connection” between man and machine. You may be wondering if neural lace has been tried on something yet. It has only been studied on live mice so far. Researchers discovered very few harmful effects associated with the mesh injection during the autopsy. To be honest, though, I’m not sure I want to be the first human volunteer. The ability to link our brains with computers and improve human intelligence sounds amazing, and it could open up a whole new realm of opportunities for humans.
Groundbreaking information about Neuralink
We all know that Neuralink is a neurological implant that stores information from electrical signals in the brain and uses that information to generate its own impulses, assisting us in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and paralysis. Amputees can also use and handle prosthetics with the help of Neuralink. You’re probably wondering right now, “Is this technology really revolutionary? or is it old news wrapped in a gleaming piece of advertising?” So let’s find out together, and I’ll also include an application of a machine learning approach in the context of neuroscience, as well as a dive into what Neuralink does and the obstacles it’s facing today.
Let’s start with a definition of BMI. The brain machine interface (BMI) is a direct communication link between a wired/enhanced brain and an external computer. The Neuralink implants are a form of BMI that consists of threads with multiple electrodes. These electrodes detect brain activity, specifically neuron spikes, after being inserted into the brain. Since not everyone understands what neurons and neuron spikes are, allow me to explain. Neurons are brain cells that interact with one another through electrical impulses. When a neuron fires an impulse, it is signaling that it wishes to interact with another neuron, which is basically what a neuron spike is. The motor functions of the body are regulated by these spikes, which are extremely important. The brain and the neurons are in charge of our ability to move, talk, and even see. But, returning to the Neuralink implants, they will have a connector, similar to a hearing aid, that will store more information about neuron spikes in addition to the implants in the brain. Furthermore, they will provide an interface, in the form of a phone app, that will read this data and input new commands for the BMIs. Another distinction is that Neuralink implants use lightweight threads that can be embedded completely automatically using robots. This would speed up the implanting process and eventually allow for further implants to be placed into more people. The aim of Neuralink is to read data in real-time and actually WRITE on neuron spikes, while current technology can only READ them.
Currently…
Currently, the company hoped to begin human trials by the end of 2020, but as we all know, COVID-19 struck. Neuralink, on the other hand, is still waiting for FDA approval. However, the company must overcome a number of major obstacles before moving forward with human trials.
problem number 1: The algorithm — In the Neuralink implants, the threads with an amplifier at the end are used to track neuron spikes. These fibers, on the other hand, aren’t connected to a single neuron; instead, they’re in the area of several different neurons. So here’s the issue: when one of these neurons shoots, how do we know which one is responsible for the spike? We don’t. This is called spike sorting, which is the method of deciding where a neuron spike starts. But what are our options for resolving this issue? It is currently too computationally costly and inaccurate, so there are no solutions right now.
problem number 2: Electrode durability — This technology must last for a long time after being inserted into the brain, and since the implant is made of plastic material, it can deteriorate due to the salt solution in the brain.
problem number 3: Glial scarring — This can happen after the procedure has been completed (the chip has been injected into the brain). If glial scarring is the case, the chip will become useless in a short period of time, and once implanted in the brain, it will be impossible to remove or repair.
Are there any consequences to this technology?
Wouldn’t this chip threaten our personal privacy in a world where everyone’s thoughts are linked to the internet? Will governments in power see this as an opportunity to gain control of all of our minds? Will computer hackers be able to manipulate weaknesses in our minds’ software, or maybe even inject viruses directly into our perception? All of this needs further research, but for now, let’s be happy that Elon Musk’s Neuralink will allow the disabled and those suffering from neurological injuries to live more healthy and happy lives in the future.
In conclusion, Neuralink is still waiting for approval and needs to continue with doing more research about the cause and effects. The process of this neurological chip still has some significant drawbacks, however, this is Elon Musk we are talking about here, and I have really high hopes for this eager project, and I know you can’t wait to see how this company develops in the future! If you liked reading this article, you can contact me on my LinkedIn, and my Twitter, for any questions!
