On Thursday, June 20th local time, Elon Musk stated that he had discussed potential next-generation brain computer devices with the first Neuralink subject, Noland Arbaugh.
Musk wrote that the next generation version of Neuralink will allow Abbott's other half of the brain to engage in telepathic interaction with his computer, "which is like having two handed control, equivalent to a mouse and keyboard."
Abbo also expressed excitement and responded, "This is perfect. His right brain has been very jealous of his left brain recently." He also pointed out, "Even if we replace the entire brain with a huge Neuralink, I would agree."
In the 1960s, American psychobiologist Roger Sperry discovered that cutting off the connection between the left and right brains of epilepsy patients can alleviate symptoms, and thus discovered that the left and right hemispheres are responsible for different bodily functions.
The left brain is mainly responsible for rational thinking activities such as logic, writing, language, analysis, numbers, and reasoning, while the right brain is mainly responsible for emotional thinking activities such as drawing, music, rhythm, emotion, imagination, and creativity. Sperry was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1981 for this.
At the age of 29, Abo is the first participant of Neuralink. Eight years ago, he suffered a spinal cord injury and was paralyzed in all four limbs during an accidental diving accident.
In January of this year, Abo underwent Neuralink's implantation surgery. In the weeks after surgery, he only needs to use his mind to control his laptop and play the fast-paced racing game Mario Racing.
According to media reports, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Neuralink's application to implant its brain chip into the brain of a second subject, and the trial will be conducted at some point in June.
At present, more than 1000 quadriplegic patients are willing to participate in the Neuralink trial, but less than 100 patients are eligible to participate in this study. The company plans to implant chips for over 22000 people by 2030.
Abbott once said, "Once you try to use it, you can't stop. It surprised me." But last month, Neuralink revealed on its official website that Abbott's equipment had a mechanical malfunction, with some wires falling off and causing some data to be lost.
However, the good news is that this flaw is not enough to require Neuralink to redesign. The FDA has approved the company's repair plan, which includes implanting some of the device's ultra-fine wires deeper into the brain to avoid wire loss and other issues.
Coincidentally, earlier this day, Paradimics, one of Neuralink's competitors, also announced plans to conduct human trials next year. The company claimed that its product "Connex DDI" can bring higher bandwidth and data transfer rates.
Last weekend, Musk replied on social media that "there will be no more phones in the future, only Neuralink." He added that Neuralink may allow humans to communicate without the need for language and may achieve a "symbiotic" state with artificial intelligence (AI).