The new Neuralink Controversy explained

When Elon Musk’s neurotech company, Neuralink, successfully implanted a chip in the human brain and made it work, humanity’s future seemed unbridled. In a world surrounded by digital interfaces, it only made sense for human beings to naturally communicate with digital devices, not using hands or limbs to engage manually.

While we expected setbacks in the early stages of its development phase, Neuralink’s brain implant process has hit a snag during its human trials and surprised all those hopeful of an easy transition to a cyborg-like future.

The latest controversy surrounding Neuralink not only involves the firm but also the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who were in the loop about a known defect regarding the brain implant chip and its wiring. The issue has brought attention to the safety aspect of the brain implant, but Neuralink has managed to get on top of the controversy and has managed to do some damage control.

Most importantly, the human test subject is away from any potential danger to his life.

But how did Neuralink get entangled in this new controversy? Join us as we dive into the details and investigate it.

Decoding the Neuralink brain chip wiring controversy

To understand the Neuralink controversy, we have to look back a year ago when the FDA approved the Elon Musk-owned American neurotechnology firm to start human trials of its N1 Implant brain chip, also called Link.

The origin

Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegia patient, was one of the first patients under the PRIME study program to receive the Link. The operation was successful and Arbaugh was able to go home the following day.

Over the next couple of months, Neuralink’s Link started showing promising results. The patient was not only able to control a digital cursor but also play computer video games (like Chess and Civilisation VI) with his friends, browse the internet on his MacBook and use other applications.

Arbaugh even used the Link to play Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch console, an activity that is usually off-limits for a patient with a spinal cord injury.

However, the problem arose when the N1 Implant chip’s threads started disconnecting from the brain within weeks of Arbaugh’s trial. In a public blog, Neuralink clarified that the threads started to retract, which eventually affected the performance of the Link.

Neuralink’s engineers got around the issue by modifying the algorithm to be more sensitive to the signal using the remaining active threads. They also improved the user interface and updated the translation process to make up for the lower thread count. The revisions to the chip eventually restored the N1 Implant chip’s peak performance.

What happened next

The controversy, as we know it, arose when it came to light that Neuralink knew about the disconnecting threads prior to the human trials. During its early trials on animal subjects, the N1 Implant chip was known to have retracting threads. Instead of going back to the design board though, Neuralink decided to go ahead with the chip since this was a low-risk issue.

Based on a Reuters report, it is said that Neuralink avoided a redesign of the threads to make it easy to remove, should the patient opt out of the program in the face of deteriorating health conditions. Neuralink’s team was against the idea of anchoring the threads in the brain, which could potentially damage the brain tissues and offered no possibility of removing the chip.

Neuralink Controversy — Image Credits: Neuralink

However, it was not just Neuralink who knew of the retracting threads. The FDA was also aware of the issue since the days of Neuralink’s testing on animals and had initially rejected the firm’s plea to start human trials of the chip. The study was conducted on pigs and highlighted an issue where a subset of those animals developed an inflammation in the brain, called granulomas.

In one of the pigs, the case was severe as the subject suffered from fever and heaving after the surgery. Neuralink’s engineers learnt about the issue only in the post-mortem of the pig’s brain and internal investigations couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

Neuralink, however, arrived at the conclusion that the granulomas had nothing to do with the Neuralink chip and its threads.

So, is Neuralink’s Link safe for humans?

At the moment, the FDA is keeping an eye on the safety of the patients. Moreover, Neuralink’s official press note has clarified that Noland Arbaugh is healthy and safe, and continues to give promising results in the research. Neuralink is, in fact, willing to expand the Link’s compatibility to robotic arms, wheelchairs and other technologies that could help people with disabilities.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Neuralink)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is the benefit of a Neuralink brain implant?
The Neuralink brain implant allows people with disabilities to control digital interfaces around them and make their lives easier.

– What does the Neuralink brain chip do?
The Neuralink brain implant chip is essentially a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that translates electric signals from the brain to digital signals. In essence, it can read your thoughts and help you control compatible digital devices.

Note:

The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

controversy Elon Musk Neuralink Tech

Everything You Need To Know About The Latest Neuralink Controversy Regarding Human Trials