Mind reading has always been approached as a science fiction phenomenon. Movies, animated series and different audiovisual productions have touched on this topic from the side of fantasy. But the reality is that science could be close to achieving this milestone and a company of Elon Musk It is the one that has made the most progress in this area.
Although it is not yet possible to decipher thoughts with complete precision, science is making leaps and bounds in this area. chips like those developed in the laboratories of Neuralinkcompany Elon Muskare part of the most avant-garde systems in the area.
The company advances in the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that allow people to control devices with their mindswhich is not mind reading yet, but it opens the door to telepathic communication.
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How do they do that? There are different methods, but the most important are magnetoencephalography (MEG) and invasive brain-computer interface.
In the first, the magnetic fields generated by brain activity are measured. While in the second, that of Neuralinkrequires the implantation of electrodes directly into the brain.
Advances in these technologies are promising, but there are still many challenges to overcome. For example, Neuralink, with the use of its chips, is not yet able to accurately identify the location of neural activity, which limits the interpretation of thoughts.
The first Neuralink chip
Elon Musk announced on Monday, January 29, 2024, that his neural science company, Neuralink, had finally implanted a device in a human for the first time.
The patient maintains his anonymous identity, but from the requirements in the published call we can deduce that he is someone with paralysis of all four limbs.
The device, provisionally called Link, is a wireless brain implant that consists of a stack of chips and electrodes that are placed in the brain.
The Link will, in theory, allow users to control external devices with their thoughts, such as phones, computers and wheelchairs. But it is a technology in a very preliminary stage.
Elon Musk challenges the future with Neuralink and his first human patient
According to Musk, in his brief publication on X (something unusual for him given his communication habits on the platform), the initial results of the implant are promising.
And he even had the luxury of giving the first details about Neuralink's supposed first product, called Telepathy, which would allow devices to be controlled with the simple act of thinking about it:
This would be an important milestone in the development of brain-computer interface technology, as it would represent another step towards creating a new form of communication and control for people with disabilities.
The announcement in itself would be a significant advance for research into this class of interfaces. However, there are still challenges that must be overcome first and the next few weeks with that patient will be crucial.
From algorithms being able to accurately interpret brain signals to simply surviving with an adequate quality of life.