Neuralink's owner Elon Musk shared his hopes regarding the technology in the coming years. He states that individuals with chips will be able to do more than the average person: win games, store and upload memories, and more.
During a podcast with Lex Fridman, Musk made several bizarre and radical claims about the possibilities of brain chipping. "Let’s give people superpowers," the billionaire says. According to him, some of these capabilities could be realized within two years, while others may take 10 to 15 years.
Elon Musk suggests that Neuralink will need to enhance its brain to compete with artificial intelligence—so that AI doesn't get "bored." The idea of "data transmission speed" in humans arose as he contemplated AI safety and potential barriers to positive interactions between humans and AI.
"The low data transfer rate in humans, particularly our slow output speed, deteriorates the connection between people and computers," Musk notes, and then makes an unexpected pivot: "Let’s say you are looking at this plant or something else, and you think, 'I really want to make this plant happy, but it doesn't talk much.'
Musk insists that the primary goal is to somehow increase the "output speed" of humans, meaning the speed at which our brains send signals to the chip. He believes there is potential to increase it "by three, possibly six, maybe more orders of magnitude." Musk agrees with Fridman's suggestion that hundreds of millions of people will have Neuralink devices within the next few decades.
Some of Elon Musk's ideas might be difficult for some to accept:
"Let’s say you could upload your memories so you don’t lose them... Yes, we would be something different. Some kind of futuristic cyborg... that's not too far away, in about 10-15 years," Musk reflects in response to a question about how chips will change human experience.
In discussing effectiveness, Musk touched upon gaming as a related topic around Neuralink. Most games have clearly defined metrics and winning conditions, which facilitate comparison. In the spring, Neuralink introduced Noland Arbo, the first patient with a chip implanted in his head. The company noted an improvement in his gaming skills: "I'm beating my friends in games that I, as a paraplegic, shouldn't be able to win," Arbo points out.
"We're confident that within the next year or two, someone with a Neuralink implant will outperform a professional gamer. Because the reaction time will be faster," Musk stated.
On the podcast, Elon Musk announced the second operation to implant a Neuralink chip in a human. The new patient suffered a spinal injury, similar to the first patient, who was paralyzed during a diving accident.
"It seems everything went very well with the second implant. There are many signals, many electrodes. It's working really well."
Musk expects Neuralink to implant devices in eight more patients this year as part of clinical trials. Additionally, in his discussion with Fridman, Elon Musk spoke about contacting Donald Trump regarding changes in business regulations. He believes the current rules in the U.S. hinder innovation.
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