Elon Musk wants to create a chip that connects the human brain to a computer

Original billionaire and businessman Elon Musk has no shortage of ideas. And its latest confirms its reputation as a pioneer in new technologies. Friday, August 28, the founder of the company Tesla presented, during an online conference, the progress of his interface project to connect the brain to computers, supported by the Neuralink group.

Tested on pigs, the chip measures 23 millimeters in diameter, it is connected via Bluetooth and can be recharged overnight. The device has ultra-fine threads and must be able to be implanted subcutaneously by a robot.

Hope for paralyzed people?

The goal of Neuralink is to treat neurological conditions. With the hope of restoring mobility to people who have lost the use of one or more limbs in their sights.

The colorful billionaire believes that it would be possible, in the event of irreversible damage to the spinal cord, to implant a chip at the site of the injury to bypass damaged neurological “transmission circuits”. Elon Musk dreams of going even further, hoping to end extreme pain, cure depression and addictions.

Save memories

The businessman also aspires to more esoteric projects. He hopes, like an episode in the “Black Mirror” series, to be able to save the memories in a digital form, to transfer them to another body, not necessarily organic.

Elon Musk’s statements have sparked skepticism among the scientific community, which reminds us, however, that the brain is not as compartmentalized as one would like to believe. There are still many obstacles between the billionaire’s dream and the reality of a humanity connected through chips, in particular concerning the inviolability of the device.

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