🧠Elon Musk is inserting brain chips into people - here's what the tech can do

The idea of connecting our brains to computer systems is a staple of science-fiction films like The Matrix – but it could become a reality next year. Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink aims to install brain chips in up to 11 people in 2024, with thousands of volunteers having lined up to take part. Research by Foresight Factory suggests that more than a third of consumers (35%) would be willing to have such a chip implanted, in order to connect directly to computer systems. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently gave Neuralink approval to begin human trials, after initially refusing it. Neuralink, which launched in 2016, is centred on creating devices that can be implanted in the human brain, and has already implanted chips successfully in mice, pigs and monkeys. The startup is working on flexible threads, far thinner than human hair, designed to be implanted into the brain by a large robot to ‘read’ brain activity. Read more: Elon Musk is inserting brain chips into people – here’s what the tech can do [ickonic-banner] [eyntk-banner]