Introduction
I’ve always had a strong feeling of empathy towards people with paralysis and the physically impaired. I keep wondering to myself how hard and challenging it must be. But as technology advances, things we thought were impossible become reality. Neuralink is a great example, as it’s a company that is known for its controversial brain-chip interface. When you first hear of the brain chip, it sounds like an idea taken straight from a horror movie, but if you care enough to look beyond that, you can get a glimpse of the future for the physically impaired – a new, sixth sense: Neuralink.
So what is Neuralink?
Neuralink was founded by arguably the most influential and richest person in the world, Elon Musk. Neuralinks core promise is to enable the brain to communicate directly with computers. It’s essentially a device that is surgically inserted into the brain using robotics by different neurosurgeons. A chipset called the link is implanted into the skull during this procedure. The device itself has several insulated wires which are connected to the electrodes that are used in the process. The Neuralink can be used to operate computers and smartphones without actually touching them. Human trials have not yet started though, as getting approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is no easy task.
What does Neuralink do?
As mentioned above, Neuralink allows people with paralysis to easily operate smartphones and computers directly with their brains. Its main purpose is to help people communicate through text or voice messages. Neuralink is not only limited to that though, as it can also be used to take photos, draw pictures, etc.
How does Neuralink work?
The way Neuralink works is quite complicated. To completely grasp the way Neuralink works, we first have to understand the science behind our brains. Simply put, the brain sends and receives electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals help control different processes, and the brain interprets each. The electrodes that are a part of Neuralink help read the signals made by the neurons in the brain. The signals are then outputted in the form of an action or movement. Additionally, the company’s website mentions that they deliberately implant the device directly in the brain because placing the Neuralink outside the head won’t be able to detect the signals accurately.
My take on the topic
When it comes to implanting Neuralink on healthy people, I believe that getting most people even remotely interested in having this device will be proven difficult. I think that the possible negatives far outweigh the proven positives when it comes to Neuralink. First of all, in my eyes, the idea of implanting this device in healthy people would require extraordinary evidence of safety. And that’s already hard to picture because as soon as you surgically open someone’s head, you put that person’s life at great risk. Not to mention the security concerns which could be vital in the future era. The technology’s core promise — is to enable the brain to communicate directly with computers — might possibly turn out to be its biggest security flaw. Should a computing device literally connected to the brain, like Neuralink, become hacked, the consequences could be disastrous, allowing hackers to have ultimate control over someone. In conclusion, I believe that while Neuralink could be of great help to people with paralysis or the physically impaired, the process of convincing the healthy public in their product is next to impossible.
Sources:
Hacking Humans: How Neuralink May Give AI The Keys To Our Brains (forbes.com)
As you said, I agree that in some ways neuralink can be the gamechanger to help people with disabilities but I also agree that if it could be attacked by the hacker it can make much more harm than do positive things.