Raphael Thys
Elon Musk said Neuralink is teeing up for its first human implant later this year. Musk co founded the brain-interface tech company in 2016. Neuralink released a video of a monkey playing MindPong with the help of a Neuralink chip in 2021.
Elon Musk, speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, said, “We have Neuralink working well with monkeys. A lot of tests are being conducted to confirm that the chip is very safe and reliable. The Neuralink device can be removed safely.”
Neuralink has wide-range potential medical applications including in treatment of spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders.
“We hope to implant it on the first human who has severe spinal-cord injuries like tetraplegics or quadriplegics. An FDA approval is awaited next year,” AfroTech quoted Musk.
Initially, Musk had plans to begin Neuralink testing in 2021. Unrealistic timelines notwithstanding, Musk is counting on the tech and a pending FDA approval to make the human implant happen this year.