. But, what if brains could be made better? What if they could be faster, able to solve more complex problems, and linked directly to the vast network of information we have available via the Internet?
Neuralink still has a long way to go to meet those ambitions. In 2023, the company announced plans to conscript humans into its first-ever research trial to gauge both the benefits and potential health risks of their premier product: a chip implanted directly into the brain., the chip was inserted into its first patient. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk proudly proclaimed the pioneering client was “recovering well” but offered few other details.
The device itself is a tiny chip, barely the size of a quarter. It has an even tinier and flimsier array of 64 wire-like sensors, called electrodes, poking out of it. These components are so delicate, and the insertion procedure so precise, that the hands of human surgeons are unfit for the task. To perform the surgery, Neuralink has designedSimply put, the main advantage of the chip is its ability to directly interact with computers and other types of hardware, including prosthetic devices.