The technology entrepreneur, Elon Musk has claimed that his brain-computer interface startup, Neuralink, is developing a chip that will let users stream music directly to their brain.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, will reveal new information about the mysterious startup in upcoming months, but recently he has been slowly releasing details over Twitter about Neuralink.
It will pick up on signals in the brain and then translate them into motor controls. Many believe that these neural interfaces will be used to control things like a prosthetic limb or to interact with our gadgets.
Soon people would be able to use the brain chip technology of Neuralink to stream music directly to their brains without any special efforts, the billionaire businessman said. The feature was confirmed by Musk, responding to a Twitter user, computer scientist Austin Howard, on July 19 over an exchange, who asked: “If we implement Neuralink – can we listen to music directly from our chips? Great feature.” Musk said “ yes”, we can.
For those suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, the Neuralink chip could also be used to stop rapid firing in neural networks, Musk replied to another Twitter user.
He also said that a brain-computer interface could also give people 'enhanced abilities’. Neuralink chip would also help to control hormone levels and we can use them to our advantage such as enhanced abilities, reasoning, anxiety relief, and some other mental issues, Musk added.
This could be the first technology that is used to help people suffering from brain diseases like Parkinson’s, but the ultimate aim of Neuralink is to allow humans to compete with advanced artificial intelligence. Musk said that he wants to use Neuralink to help in the treatment of brain disorders, preserve and enhance human brains and act as a bridge in merging humans with artificial intelligence.
Mr. Musk also hinted that this chip will be able to cure depression and addiction by “retraining” the parts of the brain responsible for these afflictions.
The Tesla CEO noted that those who are willing to get Neuralink chips fit into their brains would go through a process similar to Lasik laser eye surgery.
He founded Neuralink in 2016 and since then the company has only held one major public presentation about how the technology will work.
In 2019, Musk had said that the firm was developing a “sewing machine-like” device that would provide a direct connection between a computer and a chip inserted inside the brain. A part of it will involve a neurosurgical robot, which will fit flexible “threads” into the brain connected to a tiny implantable computer chip. “Full-bandwidth data streaming” will be provided to the brain by a single USB-C cable, a research paper detailing the device claims.
He made a request for people with specific expertise in wearables to join the firm, Neuralink.
Though the company is yet to make an announcement over its official plans, Musk recently said that there will be a progress update soon.
