What problem is Neuralink trying to solve?

 Elon Musk is arguably one of the most highly regarded tech moguls in the world. He has distinguished himself as a futuristic innovator across a range of competitive sectors from finance, automobiles, aerospace, to artificial intelligence and most recently social media.

 Notably, Musk's majestic vision comes from his early influence from sci - fi novelists like Douglas Adams and Isaac Asimov. In a commencement address at an undergraduate ceremony, Musk quoted the famous Arthur. C. Clark, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” It is no secret that Musk' s futuristic vision combined with his passionate work ethic is the foundation of his consistent success.

 In response to his latest announcement on X (formerly known as Twitter), the serial innovator has been commended for his newest reveal. As a part of existing clinical trials conducted by Neuralink, his neurotechnology venture, a brain chip has been successfully implanted in the human brain. So, what is Neuralink and what problem are they trying to solve?

Image Courtesy: Adobe Stock

 Neuralink explained.

On numerous occasions, Musk had expressed his personal concerns over the dangerous implications of unregulated use of the Artificial intelligence and over the ethical considerations of the technology. He does believe however in the controlled positive potential of AI in creating a “future of abundance.” He describes this very potential in his latest startup – Neuralink where he claims that the company would be working very closely with the digital technology.

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company that specializes in brain-computer interfaces (BCI). Simply put, they specialize in creating brain implants that record electrical impulses from the brain which can be redirected to the brain to control external devices like computers or robotic arms. While the company is still in its infancy, the BCI technology has been researched by neuroscientists and computer engineers alike and there are a handful of companies already existing in this sector.

What problem is Neuralink trying to solve?

Founded in 2016, the company aims at revolutionizing treatment options for paraplegics, quadriplegics and those with significant motor disabilities. He also talks about its potential applications in visual disabilities and curing blindness.

Let’s use an example to understand Neuralink a little better. Imagine you want to drink a glass of water. This would require you to think about lifting the glass of water and bringing it near your mouth to drink. This thought would then be processed by the brain and electrical impulses would be sent downstream to activate the muscle and lift the arm to pick up the glass of water (Figure 1).

In patients with a stroke or similar motor abnormalities, the central nervous system may not be able to effectively control the muscular activity (Figure2). Modern neurorehabilitative techniques may have improved the quality of life of many patients, but this remains a subjective area and BCIs hold immense potential for a breakthrough intervention in this field.

The following schematic shows the normal course of events.

With the help of this diagram, we can understand how Neuralink and other related BCI devices create a bypass for electrical impulses from the brain to an external output device like a computer or a robotic limb (Figure 3). This undoubtedly requires use of complex algorithms and pattern recognition systems to ensure an acceptable level of precision and reliability. Most of the motor outcomes studied until now are simple tasks like movement of a cursor or a computer screen to simple video games. While most of these experiments are still in their infancy, these simple tasks can be extrapolated to more complex functions in everyday life.

 

How is Neuralink different from other BCIs?

Elon Musk at Neuralink Show and Tell, Fall 2022

As mentioned earlier, the BCI technology is fairly well known and has already been employed by a few contenders like Neurable, Blackrock Neurotech, Synchron etc. Neuralink perhaps gains its popularity from Elon Musk. Experiments conducted in the past have successfully been able to develop the neural implant and place it into the brain surgically. There have been reports of significant brain data coding and evident achievements in humans from moving the cursor to writing emails.

Typically, the neuronal implant is a small device inserted into the brain via a surgical procedure. It has up to 100 electrodes embedded into it. Neuralink claims to distinguish its counterparts in a number of ways.

Neuralink’s chip N1 is a small coin like device as thick as the human skull. It has 1024 electrodes distributed across 64 threads thinner than a strand of human hair.  These threads are extremely flexible and seem to overcome the existing difficulty of scarring of brain tissue. This chip is wireless and freely usable at home.

Neuralink's N1

The second pivotal distinction is the method of delivery of the threads into the brain which can now be done with the use of a special robotic arm R1 trained via precise brain motion tracking.  

 

These differences are a significant advancement in the tech aspect of the product. The company prioritizes safety in case of thermal injuries and upgradeability of the device in case of upgraded versions of the device. The notable increase in electrodes provides the chip with an opportunity to significantly enhance its ability to pick up electrical signals from the brain's electrodes. This may also provide access to more brain regions to theoretically help expand the functionality of the device.

Limitations

With such promising possibilities and prospects for recovery comes great responsibility. Both theoretically and practically, the utilization of external devices presents several limitations. Apart from the obvious logistic limitations like thermal injuries, infections and hemorrhages, these devices may encounter various ethical considerations.

Some obvious questions that come to mind are the questions of eventual ownership or proprietorship of the data that will be collected by these devices. There can be risk of misuse of personal information and loss of trust amongst users. Considering that these devices are connected to the brain, many neuroscientists are also considering the potential risk of modifications of original thought and loss of creativity and authenticity. The company would also be conducting countless animal tests before attempting human trials which may be against moral ethics.

Although Neuralink remains in its nascent stages, proactive involvement from regulatory bodies is essential to ensure the safe and meaningful integration of this sophisticated technology. Timely intervention will help establish guidelines that promote responsible usage and safeguard against potential risks and ethical dilemmas.

While the experiments on these monkeys have truly been fascinating, there may be ethical considerations over animal rights.

Conclusion

"The human spirit must prevail over technology."

Patients with strokes, ALS, cerebral palsy and other such motor debilitating conditions often experience a profound decline in their quality of life. Losing the functionality of a thumb may even have far-reaching consequences on a family's livelihood. Despite extensive research into treatments and rehabilitation for these conditions, a groundbreaking innovation like Neuralink holds immense promise as a beacon of hope for those in desperate need.

While we can cautiously anticipate that Neuralink may alleviate overt challenges, it's crucial to acknowledge and respect the inherent limitations of the natural world. As Albert Einstein once remarked, "The human spirit must prevail over technology." This assertion underscores the importance of maintaining the balance between technological advancements and the integrity of the human experience.

In navigating the frontier of neurotechnology, we must tread carefully, guided by both innovation and prudence. By embracing Neuralink's potential within the framework of ethical considerations and regulatory oversight, we can aspire to empower individuals grappling with debilitating conditions while upholding the sanctity of the human spirit.

References 

1. Neuralink. (n.d.). Neuralink. https://neuralink.com/ 
2. Neuralink. (2024, March 2). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuralink
3. Becher, B. (2024, January 30). What Is Neuralink? What We Know So Far. Built In. https://builtin.com/hardware/what-is-neuralink
4. Drew, L. (2024, February 2). Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip: what scientists think of first human trial. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00304-4
5. N. (2022, December 1). Neuralink Show and Tell, Fall 2022. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YreDYmXTYi4
6. Brain–computer interface. (2024, March 2). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface
7. Shih JJ, Krusienski DJ, Wolpaw JR. Medical Applications of Brain-Computer Interfaces. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Mar;87(3):268-79. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2011.12.008. Epub 2012 Feb 10. PMID: 22325364; PMCID: PMC3497935