Linking the World to AI
Have you ever been so bored in a classroom with your best friend on the opposite side of the room, you find yourself staring intently into their eyes trying to read their mind? I can safely assume almost 100% of those who are currently reading have tried this at least once. Unfortunately, homo sapiens aren’t naturally born with telepathic abilities. Thankfully, the world has been blessed with a real life Iron man, (genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist) in the form of Elon Musk. This man seems to have his fingers in almost every pie related to the future world. Tesla, the global market leader in electric car manufacturing whose long term goal is to replace all cars that operate on non-renewable energy, is one of Musk’s most successful and publicised feats of the past decade. His latest venture though focus’ on the human brain and in July this year, via YouTube live stream, Musk and his team formally introduced the world to Neuralink. A revolutionary invention that could completely alter day-to-day life for the general population. The potential uses for this device are seemingly endless, and much like an episode of Black Mirror, it is both wonderfully intriguing and a tad frightening.
How does it all work?
Throughout the human brain there is roughly 100 billion cells called neurones, these connect to form a large network called synapses. These neurones communicate with each other using chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Once a strong enough signal is fired, it results in an action potential that then relays the message to its own downstream synapses. Simply put, when you think of something as simple as moving your finger, that movement is the result of a chemical reaction in the brain sending and receiving signals that then result in the bodily function. These chemical reactions that relay messages to cause said action can be detected, recorded and potentially manipulated by surgically positioning an electrode nearby neurones on extremely thin strands of wire that are connected to a sensor. These sensors then relay this information to the main Neuralink chip (n1) which is placed underneath the skin behind the ear and connects to an external device coined The Link. The Link is simply a battery operated Bluetooth device that then connects to Neuralink’s smartphone app.
The surgery is extremely meticulous and is entirely impossible without the assistance of a highly accurate robot. Each n1 chip has a total of 1024 microscopic strands each with their own electrode attached to it. They need to be carefully placed near the brains neurones without causing any damage such as rupturing a blood vessel. This is something that can be very difficult to navigate when you take into consideration movements from the patient such as breathing or their heartbeat. As you can imagine the needle of the machine performing the surgery is extremely small and each electrode is roughly one eighth the size of a mosquito’s proboscis (the blood sucker). The surgery only requires a 2mm incision that is then dilated to 8mm. It takes only a few hours and doesn’t even require a stitch when completed! You can get a far more in-depth analysis of the inner workings of the device here.
Currently, Neuralink is still in its early development stages with no human trials as of yet. The testing according to Musk has been solely conducted on rats and more recently, monkeys. However, the science and operational procedures will not vary drastically when the forecasted human trials begin to take place as early as next year.
What is its function?
The team at Neuralink’s immediate goal is to help those who suffer from bodily impairments that are the result of faulty brain signals. The device could potentially restore the ability of speech to a stroke victim who can no longer formulate sentences by connecting to a compatible smartphone or television. In addition, it could give them the ability to control synced devices such as computers, gaming consoles and mobility aids that are synced with the Neuralink app. Giving them a chance at a somewhat normal life simply by thinking.
These are the company’s immediate plans for the device. Elon’s future hopes though, like any mad scientist, are far more adventurous. Although I am sure he takes pride and pleasure out of helping those in need, Musk and his team see Neuralink as the next step of human evolution.
“Neuralink, might be really the first invention, in many ways, the next chapter of us”
Max Hodak CEO Neuralink
There is a constant discussion globally surrounding AI (artificial intelligence) and the possible ramifications of this new technology. There is a countless amount of individuals who believe AI will be the end of humanity and an iRobot style takeover is imminent. Elon argues that we as humans have already become cyborgs as such. In that we are already completely integrated with our smartphones and computers. They have become an imperative part of our day to day lives which for a large percentage of us, are lost without. The progression of internet speeds as well as the constant rollout of new technologies and platforms to increase bandwidth to communicate faster and more efficiently is proof of the evolution of this. Humans are constantly wanting faster and easier ways to connect with each other and information. This is Elon’s vision for Neuralink. Increasing the bandwidth of the human brain so it operates on a similar scale to a computer.
Having a computer in your brain is something that I believe everyone should be both open to, but skeptical of. CEO of Neuralink Max Hodak during the YouTube unveiling, stated that many believe AI will be the last invention of the human race, but with the BMI (brain-machine interface), it is simply the next chapter of us. From a capitalist’s view, it could potentially replace every large tech company on the planet. Why would you need a MacBook Pro to order something from Amazon when you can do it instantaneously in your head? This would completely alter both the way in which we consume products as well as the manner they are advertised in.
The fore mentioned scenario of staring at your friend in primary school trying to telepathically talk to each other from across the room could become a very real possibility as well. After all, a conversation is simply the input and output of information between two people. Sending a message from one The Link to another may become the equivalent of airdropping a file. Its very possible that you will be able to contact anyone in the world instantaneously just by thinking (perhaps further depending on Musk’s progress with SpaceX).
Security concerns must be at the forefront of this progress though. Someone hacking into your n1 chip and controlling your thoughts is a terrifying prospect and one that needs to be addressed first and foremost. If that hurdle can be overcome and this becomes a device that is completely safe to use, I for one will happily go under the knife. The world is heading towards some magnificently strange times and I agree with CEO Hodak in believing that integrating with machines is simply the next step of evolving the human race.
