"No Giving Up" Neuralink Seeks Partners for Human Brain Chip Implantation Experiment

Neuralink, a neuroscience startup led by Elon Musk, is reportedly in partnership discussions with the United States' Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI), considered one of the world's top neurosurgery hospitals, to conduct experiments involving implanting chips into the human brain.

On the 27th (local time), major foreign media outlets, citing multiple sources, reported that Neuralink is negotiating with several neurosurgery centers, including BNI, to carry out experiments implanting chips in actual humans. However, since the partnership is not yet finalized, foreign media noted that there is a possibility the discussions could fall through.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

BNI has not commented on collaboration with Neuralink but is considered to be in a favorable position due to its long-standing research in the field of brain implant studies. According to foreign media, BNI received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 for a brain stimulation device that helps reduce tremors in Parkinson's disease and has implanted it in more than 175,000 patients.

Since founding Neuralink in 2016, Musk has stated his intention to conduct chip implantation experiments in the human brain and make it as common as LASIK surgery. Neuralink has been developing an interface that inserts computer chips into the brain to connect with computers, enabling people to control various devices just by thinking. This development is expected to benefit severely disabled patients suffering from conditions such as paralysis.

The issue lies with regulatory approval. It was recently reported that the FDA rejected Neuralink's application for human chip implantation experiments early last year. The FDA identified problems that need to be resolved before conducting direct experiments on the human brain. Concerns included the possibility that the wires of the brain chip could move to other areas of the test subject's brain and that the chip could overheat and damage tissue. Additionally, the FDA pointed out the unclear method of safely removing the implanted chip later without injuring the brain.

Neuralink is currently conducting experiments on animals such as pigs and monkeys. However, it is reported that numerous animals have died during these experiments, leading to an investigation by the U.S. federal prosecutors. Since 2018, approximately 1,500 animals have died. Neuralink is also under investigation for mishandling dangerous pathogens during animal experiments conducted with the University of California between 2018 and 2020.

Meanwhile, Neuralink's competitor, Synchron, which implants chips in severely paralyzed patients, received approval for human trials only in July 2021, five years after applying.

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