Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neuralink said it had received Food and Drug Administration’s approval to launch the first-in-human clinical study.
Several times since 2019, billionaire Elon Musk has predicted his brain-chip company would soon secure FDA approval for human trials.
However, the company’s application was rejected in early 2022, and the company was working through the agency’s concerns over the safety of the experimental implant.
Neuralink said to the New York Post, “This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology. to help many people.”
But what are the advantages and disadvantages of a brain chip?
Musk has pitched Neuralink’s technology as potentially helping people who suffer from paralysis. The technology involves implanting tiny chips inside people’s skulls to relay electrical signals from the brain to a computer.
The electrodes of the Neuralink chip are able to read these signals, which are then translated into motor controls. This could control external technologies, such as computers or smartphones, or bodily functions, like muscle movement.
Neuralink can be used as a connection between the human brain and technology. This means that people with paralysis can easily operate their phones and computer directly with their brains. The chipset wires will be able to both monitor brain activity and electrically stimulate the brain.
If Neuralink is implanted incorrectly, it can lead to infections and inflammation in the brain, which may result in an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Another disadvantage of Neuralink is that it may be abused by people who want to control others or steal information from them.
