[Opinion] Can BCI Technology Realize Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Dream?

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently claimed that it might be possible to achieve immortality by downloading the human brain into robots. Through his brain research startup Neuralink, Musk is developing technology that connects the brain and computers using a chip that converts signals from neural transmissions in the brain into digital signals.

Recently, Neuralink succeeded in an experiment where a monkey implanted with a chip in its brain controlled a game using only its thoughts. Musk is attempting to implant Neuralink chips into the human brain. He stated that Neuralink’s short-term goal is to overcome disabilities caused by brain damage or spinal injuries, but the long-term goal is to download the human brain into robots to enable immortality. However, he said he himself is not interested in immortality.

The basic concept of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology is that when we think of a specific language or idea, electrical neural signals are generated in brain cells. If we can understand the patterns of these neural signals, they can be utilized in various ways. Applied properly, even people with severe physical disabilities could communicate or move. BCI provides a new communication interface without physical contact. When applied to virtual reality or augmented reality, it could allow people to feel others’ sensations and emotions directly.

BCI is divided into two types depending on how brain signals are detected: non-invasive and invasive. Non-invasive uses equipment like helmets or headsets that measure brain waves. It requires no surgery and is convenient but somewhat less accurate. Invasive involves implanting microchips under the scalp to measure signals from brain cells. Because the chip is implanted in the brain, it is accurate but requires a complicated procedure. Currently, the skull must be opened for chip implantation, but in the future, chip implantation surgery is expected to become as simple as LASIK surgery.

In the United States, a person who became paralyzed below the shoulders due to a severe accident participated in a BCI clinical trial at the California Institute of Technology, reaching a level where they could control a robotic arm, edit photos with Photoshop software, enjoy shooting in video games, and even drive a car through a virtual simulator.

A person who lost the ability to speak due to a stroke was able to communicate using an artificial language device, and by merely thinking about writing by hand, they could move a cursor to write.

In South Korea, in 2018, a research team at the Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary’s Hospital succeeded for the first time in an experiment where a microelectrode chip implanted in a monkey’s brain detected neural cell signals to read thoughts and move a robotic arm.

An era is arriving where patients who are conscious but physically paralyzed and unable to speak or move can drive cars, communicate, and even feel tactile sensations using only their thoughts. So far, such BCI technology has only been possible in laboratories. In the United States, commercialization efforts are underway, including applying for a fast track with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow commercial development of BCI systems.

BCI technology can not only read information from the brain outward but also input information into the brain from outside, making it applicable to the treatment of various brain diseases. However, there are several ethical issues and new types of cybersecurity risks. Nevertheless, BCI technology is expected to rapidly advance in the future, not only solving challenges faced by humanity but also greatly contributing to humanity’s pursuit of immortality.

Im Juhwan, Honorary President of the Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences

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