A year later, we ask if his prediction has started to become a reality.
Musk believes that the need for chip implants comes with the development of AI and the humans’ urge to keep up with it.
In January 2024, neurosurgeons implanted a Neuralink chip into different areas of the brain tissue of patient Noland Arbaugh, a man paralyzed below his shoulders due to a driving accident.
The chip, which was the size of a coin, contained 64 flexible threads, each thinner than a human hair.
During a live-streamed demonstration, Arbaugh played chess and other online games without making a single movement. He explained that the experience felt like using “Force powers” from Star Wars.
About a month later, Arbaugh’s performances declined, but Neuralink restored his capabilities after certain modifications of their algorithm.
Neuralink announced in a blog post that the second patient to receive their chip, “Alex,” is successfully using computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D objects and to play video games.
“To reduce the probability of thread retraction in our second participant, we implemented a number of mitigations, including reducing brain motion during the surgery and reducing the gap between the implant and the surface of the brain,” the blog post stated.
“This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy.
“We hope that in time, the Link helps many people create in their areas of interest and expertise, and we’re excited to work with more people to help them reconnect with their passions,” the company stated.
Elon Musk believes the recipients of the chips will outperform professional gamers within two years and will speed up human brains.
“Our slow output rate would diminish the link between humans and computers,” Musk said, and made a comparison with plants. “Let’s say you look at this plant or whatever, and hey, I’d really like to make that plant happy, but it’s not saying a lot.”
Musk’s near-term plans heavily focus on optimizing brain data transmission rates. “The low data rate of humans, especially our slow output rate, would diminish the link between humans and computers,” Musk explained, proposing to increase brain signal speed “by three, maybe six, or more orders of magnitude.”
