The company just implanted its brain chip in a monkey's brain, allowing it to play video games by thinking.
This year, several science fiction films could become reality. Eccentric Elon Musk, co-founder of brain-computer interface firm Neuralink, said the first human trials of his brain chip could take place "later this year. "
An answer that is still best taken with a grain of salt. This is not the first time that Elon Musk has asserted that the first human tests are imminent.
It was on Twitter that the co-founder of Neuralink provided updates on his company's projects. Elon Musk said, in response to an Internet user who offered to take part in the first human tests, that "Neuralink is working very hard to ensure the safety of the implants and is in close communication with the FDA. If things go well, we may be able to do some human testing later this year."
A brain connected to Bluetooth
The goal of Neuralink, launched in 2016, is to enable humans to interact with machines through thought. Besides the gimmicky aspect of it, Neuralink's brainchips could allow paralyzed people to easily interact with their smartphones or computers. It is also a question of curing neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Several tests have already been carried out on animals, including pigs, whose brain anatomy closely resembles that of the human brain. More recently, Neuralink implanted a chip in a monkey's brain, which allowed him to play Pong by thought.
Neuralink's brain chip has a thousand electrodes capable of "reading" brain activity by stimulating neurons. Using its Bluetooth-like radio waves, it can wirelessly transmit data to a machine for analysis and response.
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