Elon Musk Prepares to Test Brain Chip Implants on Humans, Declares Himself the 'Guinea Pig'

Elon Musk, a name familiar to people worldwide, is not only known as the world's billionaire but also dubbed the 'mad scientist' of daring experiments and research ventures that couldn't be more imaginative.

In 2016, Elon Musk founded Neuralink, and by March 2017, when he publicly confirmed Neuralink's presence, it was to undertake the mission of creating small devices (chips) that could be implanted into the brain. This aims to enhance the human brain, programming it like an intelligent computer.

The idea of implanting chips into human brains took root when Elon Musk first encountered the science fiction series 'The Culture' by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. The series posits neural lace as a device implanted in the brain, enabling humans to enhance both physical and intellectual capabilities. This notion immediately inspired the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX to establish Neuralink and progressively pursue his 'crazy' idea, with the goal of elevating human intelligence to AI levels.

On the evening of November 30th, at a talent recruitment event for the start-up Neuralink, Elon Musk shared that brain chip implants would soon be perfected and tested on humans. He also affirmed that he himself would undergo brain chip implantation if successful human trials are conducted.

In a presentation introducing the Neuralink implant system, Elon Musk envisions a future where human brains are connected to computers. In 2019, Musk announced that by the end of 2020, brain chip implants would be performed on humans. However, as of now, Neuralink implants have not yet become a reality. Nevertheless, there have been promising experiments where chips were implanted into the brains of two monkeys, allowing them to control a computer mouse cursor with their implanted brains to play games.

Following successful implantation of chips into the skull with tiny wires into monkey brains, enabling them to play games with their minds, Musk hopes that the 'brain-computer interface' can treat brain diseases and allow humans to merge with AI in the future. This model enables connecting the human brain to super small chips implanted behind the skull.

Musk also added that two of the company's applications will focus on restoring vision, even for the congenitally blind. The company will also further research a third application focusing on motor cortex, restoring 'motor function' for people with spinal cord injuries. Elon Musk also asserts that there are no physical limitations to restoring full-body function.

On Twitter, Elon Musk announced his own plans for brain chip implants. Through intricate implantation, anyone can implant a Neuralink device into their brain without detection by the naked eye. The implantation process will be swift, so much so that even you won't realize it.

However, the company has not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market this device. Elon Musk has submitted most of the paperwork to this agency to seek permission to carry out this 'crazy' idea of brain chip implants in humans. According to him, it will take another 6 months for the FDA to review and assess the surgical risks and safety of the proposed device before testing begins.

Neuralink, Elon Musk's audacious and visionary project, has sparked intense debates. Some believe it will be a breakthrough in connecting the human brain to computers, creating a fully intelligent generation. Others argue that if the FDA truly allows this to happen, humans will merely become mechanical beings. When humans become AI, human existence becomes meaningless.

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