Neuralink is one of the many companies founded and led by Elon Musk. It was founded in 2016 with the purpose of developing brain chips for paralyzed people. These chips are supposed to help people regain control of their limbs, so what could the problem be with this new technology?

Accusations against Neuralink for the way they tested the chip quickly came into question. The scientists and doctors that work at this company tested the implant on monkeys first, but  the way they tested is being scrutinized. In 2022, a monkey died after they tried to have it play pong, causing outrages that they are performing experiments to advance the goal of creating the chip to be safe for humans with no regard to the deaths of animals. An investigation was conducted by the United States government’s  Department of Agriculture due to the allegations trying to find wrongdoings committed during animal research. However, there is only one other instance where Neuralink committed any violations with animal research in their experiments when, in 2019, a scientist self-reported that they used the incorrect sealant to fill holes drilled into a monkey’s skull. 

As of recently, Neuralink obtained FDA approval for human trials with the chips. The chip that is being implanted into the subjects is called the Link and is supposed to be put into the bodies of people with quadriplegia. Quadriplegia is when the torso and all four limbs are affected by paralysis. In September of 2023, they started recruiting people for the trials and he released a post on X that the chip was put into the first patient. 

However, this is not the first time a chip has been planted into the head of a human. The first implant was actually in the 1990s and in 2004 a device called the Utah array was put into a paralyzed person’s head through an insertable opening of skin. The Utah array actually helped the person control a computer with their nerve impulses, control a robotic arm, understand foreign languages, and even use their own limbs. As these past chips show their continued potential, some people believe this is the future of humanity. Whether humanity is ready or not for bonding the human brain and technology together, the time is rapidly approaching.