Implantable AI — Neuralink’s Quest For A Brain-Computer Interface
Neuralink and its Achievements — A Wild Ride in Mental Pong
We’ve all heard of Elon Musk: From Tesla to SpaceX, and even the Boring Company. Now, the next project on his agenda intersects the world of neuroscience with electronics. Neuralink is a newly founded neurotechnology company developing implantable brain-machine interfaces, to connect humans and computers.[1] A small (cylinder-sized) ‘link’ is implanted by the use of a surgical robot into the brain of the subject, which is then able to connect thousands of micro threads (yes, wires) to individual neurons responsible for movement and sensory detection.[2] Such threads contain electrodes capable of detecting output from the motor cortex (responsible for motor movement execution), somatosensory cortex (alluding to a sense of touch), auditory cortex (for auditory perception), and the visual cortex (for processing visual information).[3] The link interprets and decodes neural spikes (action potentials) from 1024 individual electrodes, and utilises its output to control a computer interface.[4] Artificial intelligence could soon literally be implanted in the human mind.
Image sources: Neuralink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsCul1sp4hQ
Benefits and Uses: The Purpose and Application of Neuralink
Neuralink was initially designed to improve the lives of patients suffering debilitating paralysis, giving independence and greater autonomy over their actions with the aid of a computer.[5] Neurological disorders arising from spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury will perhaps reap the greatest benefits, where motor and sensory function can be mimicked and temporarily restored.[6] Users would be able to type, edit, and send messages, limited only by the speed of their own thoughts. Similarly, motor function could also be replicated in a game-like setting, with the user’s thoughts capable of controlling their player. Further applications can see Neuralink used to control prosthetic limbs, making them feel real and operate more accurately, given the vast number of electrodes implanted, which are capable to determine ultra-precise movement.[7] Further developments in its use may be such that electric signals are fed to areas of the brain, which may prove to be a remedy for neuropsychological disorders such as depression, and anxiety, often brought on by a lack of serotonin.[8] Such ‘super-human’ cognition may prove to be game-changing in its application for a wide range of patients, especially considering Neuralink’s attempt to provide solutions to long-studied diseases with little success in remediation. In short, Neuralink can help with everything from sensory perception to stimulated muscle control, to insomnia, mood disorders, and even memory loss (a future endeavor)!
Where does Neuralink in with Modern Manipulative Neuroscience
To most, the media buzz created by Neuralink is the first time the public spotlight has shone this brightly on neurotechnology. The 21st century has brought with it progress, and a steady stream of funding (both public and private) to promote research into the field. Neuralink itself raised $158 million in 2019 and has proven itself by continuing to hire specialist engineers, scientists, and technologists with a passion for the field.[9]
However, the idea of using neural implants to improve health and wellbeing is not new. Comparableneurotech developments include Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), to treat Parkinson’s disease tremors. Electrodes are inserted into the motor cortex (albeit in limited numbers comparable to Neuralink), and an impulse is supplied to block faulty nerve signals causing tremors.[11]
Another example is the cochlear implant, a surgically implanted neuroprosthetic along the cochlear which allows those with sensorineural hearing loss to experience a modified (albeit electronic) sense of sound.[11] Hence, Neuralink fits well with digitised and manipulative advancements in neurotechnology.[12]
Image Source: Neuralink
Where is Neuralink today? What ride is next in development?
Recently, Neuralink has captivated the internet with its videos of the Link proving successful upon implantation to animals. It came as a welcome surprise when Neuralink showcased the neural data of Gertrude (a pig), demonstrating the surgical success of the implantation of over 1000 electrodes, and the wireless transmittance of neural data from this sensory cortex. [13] The media latched on as much as neurotechnology enthusiasts and were even more impressed with Neuralink’s next feat, where Link-recorded neural activity from a monkey (named Pager) was used to control the movement of a Pong paddle — with nothing more than a thought. Here, each voltage recorded from the 1024 different electrodes is aggregated into spikes (hence, indicative of action potentials), which are then transmitted over Bluetooth to a computer. The spikes are effectively re-aggregated where their weighted sum is used for a dimension of control — allowing the movement of a cursor![14] While Neuralink builds on the foundation of decades of research, the implementation of such technology on humans to control computers is certainly on the horizon. Next up? Neuralink’s team has emphasised their next/biggest goal is to allow people with paralysis the ability to communicate. Hence, Neuralink may see success soon in early phase human trials.
Citations:
[1] ‘Applications’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[2] ‘Elon Musk Unveils Updated Neuralink Brain Implant Design and Surgical Robot’. Dezeen, 2 Sept. 2020, https://www.dezeen.com/2020/09/02/neuralink-elon-musk-brain-implant-technology/.
[3] ‘Approach’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[4] ‘Approach’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[5] ‘Approach’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[6] ‘Human–Robotic Interfaces to Shape the Future of Prosthetics’. EBioMedicine, vol. 46, Aug. 2019, p. 1. PubMed Central, doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.08.018.
[7] Musk, Elon. ‘An Integrated Brain-Machine Interface Platform With Thousands of Channels’. Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 21, no. 10, Oct. 2019. PubMed Central, doi:10.2196/16194.
[8] Tuffley, David. ‘Neuralink’s Monkey Can Play Pong with Its Mind. Imagine What Humans Could Do with the Same Technology’. The Conversation, http://theconversation.com/neuralinks-monkey-can-play-pong-with-its-mind-imagine-what-humans-could-do-with-the-same-technology-158787. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[9] Markoff, John. ‘Elon Musk’s Neuralink Wants “Sewing Machine-Like” Robots to Wire Brains to the Internet’. The New York Times, 17 July 2019. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/technology/neuralink-elon-musk.html.
[11] Müller, Oliver, and Stefan Rotter. ‘Neurotechnology: Current Developments and Ethical Issues’. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, vol. 11, 2017. Frontiers, doi:10.3389/fnsys.2017.00093.
[12] Hackl, Cathy. ‘Meet 10 Companies Working On Reading Your Thoughts (And Even Those Of Your Pets)’. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2020/06/21/meet-10-companies-working-on-reading-your-thoughts-and-even-those-of-your-pets/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[13] ‘Blog’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
[14] ‘Blog’. Neuralink, https://neuralink.com/approach/. Accessed 14 June 2021.
