Musk's 'Brain Chip' Success Extends from Pigs to Monkeys... Will It Be Implanted in Humans? [Im Juhyung's Tech Talk]

Neuralink, a Biotechnology Company Founded by Musk
Aims to Realize Brain-Machine Interface by Implanting Electrodes in Human Body
Human Clinical Trials Expected by the End of This Year
Challenge of Surgery 'Drilling Through the Skull' Causes Reluctance
Need to Develop Electrode Materials That Can Function Inside the Body for Several Years

A monkey named 'Phaser' implanted with a Neuralink computer chip demonstrated playing a game using only its thoughts without any physical movement. / Video captured from YouTube

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] On the 11th (local time), American IT media outlets such as CNET and Business Insider extensively covered the gaming monkey "Paijeo." Paijeo is a monkey implanted with a very tiny computer chip in its brain, allowing it to control games solely through thought.

The small computer chip implanted in Paijeo's head is a product developed by Neuralink, an American biotechnology startup. Neuralink was founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, the American entrepreneur famous for the electric car company Tesla. The company invests in research and development aimed at creating computer chips implanted in the human brain. Musk believes that the chips developed by Neuralink can solve various incurable diseases caused by brain defects.

After unveiling Paijeo, Musk expressed his excitement on his Twitter account, saying, "This monkey literally plays video games using a brain chip," and added, "It's like telepathy."

The device implanted in Paijeo's head by Neuralink is called the "N1 Link" chip. This chip monitors neural activity occurring in the monkey's brain and converts it into data that synchronizes with the movements of a game controller joystick. Because of this, Paijeo can move the joystick and play games just by thinking.

Neuralink's 'N1 Link' monitors neural activity inside a monkey's brain, then processes it into data and transmits it to a game controller joystick. / Photo by YouTube Capture

The N1 Link is the result of technology Neuralink has been developing since 2016. Last August, Neuralink also showcased a pig implanted with a brain chip. In just one year, they succeeded in advancing from pigs to monkeys.

Regarding this, Musk stated, "Neuralink's ultimate goal is to create a function that transmits brain stimulation to machines through a Brain-Machine Interface (BMI)." He added, "This technology will be able to solve problems for patients with brain and spinal injuries. We expect to conduct the first clinical trials on humans by the end of this year."

If Neuralink can implant chips in human brains by the end of this year as Musk claims, it would be the world's first realization of a BMI. However, it remains uncertain whether Neuralink's clinical trials will proceed as planned.

Neuralink's computer chip schematic. It operates by implanting tiny electrodes that penetrate the skull and invade the brain. / Photo by Neuralink

The biggest obstacles hindering Neuralink's progress are safety concerns and public resistance. Neuralink's computer chip is implanted by inserting electrodes thinner than a strand of hair into the brain, which requires a craniotomy surgery that penetrates the skull. If the medical device performing the surgery is not precise, safety issues may arise, and patients may experience significant psychological resistance.

Musk is also aware of these issues. In a 2019 podcast interview, he said, "Chip surgery should be as simple and automated as LASIK surgery," adding, "If neurosurgeons have to perform the surgery to implant the chip, many people will not undergo the procedure."

Even if the surgical issues are resolved, there remains the challenge of developing electrodes that can remain inside the human body for extended periods without causing adverse effects. The chip must operate for several years while implanted in the brain. Therefore, safe coatings that do not dissolve over time and low-power technologies capable of processing signals with minimal energy consumption are required.

Medical device design for surgery implanting Neuralink computer chips into the skull. / Photo by Neuralink

Because of these challenges, there is keen interest in whether Neuralink will receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use.

Last July, the FDA approved Neuralink's chip, "Link V0.9," for use under the Breakthrough Device program. However, further development is required before actual clinical trials can begin.

Some remain skeptical about Musk's Neuralink project itself.

In August last year, the renowned American science magazine MIT Technology Review pointed out in an article that "four years after its founding, there is no evidence showing how this chip can cure various diseases such as depression and insomnia."

It further stated, "One of the major challenges the company faces is creating a chip that can survive 'without corrosion' inside a living brain for 10 years," and predicted, "It will take several years just to solve that problem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.