Neuralink announced that it has received the green light from the American health authorities for begin testing of his brain implants in humans. Elon Musk’s company, which studies the chips to be inserted into the brain, has defined the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (Fda) for its first human clinical research as “a milestone” for its technology. With the aim of connecting our brains directly to computers.
Neuralink to test brain implants on humans
“This is a fundamental step that brings us closer to our goal of helping so many people,” said the Californian company on its profile Twitter, specifying that “applications for clinical trials are not yet open”. The news brings relief to the company, which was rejected by the FDA in March.
Neuralink designs connected devices to be inserted into the brain to communicate with computers through thought. They should be employed initially for assist people who are paralyzed or suffering from neurological diseases. The startup then aims to make these plants safe and reliable enough to be able to be optional surgery. In other words: we can put a computer in our brain, if we want to.
According to Elon Musk, CEO of the company, the purpose of these chips is to allow humanity to achieve one “symbiosis with artificial intelligence“. Which in July 2019 estimated that Neuralink could make the first tests on humans in 2020, while so far prototypes the size of a coin have only been implanted in the skulls of animals.
Clinical trials represent a fundamental step, which other companies have already started for a couple of years. But before this technology can truly enter medical practices, it will likely be years.