{"id":90737,"date":"2023-01-25T17:16:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T21:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=90737"},"modified":"2023-02-02T14:24:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T18:24:27","slug":"what-is-neuralink-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-neuralink-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Neuralink Technology & What Can It Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is Neuralink technology? What can this technology do? What are brain-computer interfaces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neuralink is a medical research company working to develop a safe, effective, and affordable brain-computer interface (BCI). BCIs allow people to control devices such as computers and smartphones with their thoughts, but in theory such devices have extensive applications and possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn about Neuralink technology, what it can do, and what the future holds for the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Neuralink?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Neuralink Corporation is a company that researches and designs brain-computer interfaces <\/em>(BCIs). As the name suggests, BCIs are devices that (in theory) allow users to control devices like phones and computers with their thoughts. Neuralink was founded in 2016 by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, alongside a small team of scientists and engineers<\/a>. According to the company\u2019s Linkedin page, it now employs around 400 people<\/a>. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of what Neuralink technology is in terms of how it works, its applications and implications, and the company’s future endeavors and shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does It Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Neuralink\u2019s BCI<\/a> consists of a device called the Link, which is invisibly implanted in the user\u2019s skull, and numerous hair-thin wires connecting the Link to various areas of that person\u2019s brain. The wires, called neural threads, are covered in electrodes that detect brain activity and carry signals back to the Link. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The basic concept isn\u2019t new\u2014a monkey was able to move a mouse cursor <\/strong>using a similar implant<\/strong><\/a> back in 2002. <\/strong>However, the BCIs that Neuralink is working on require much more advanced technology<\/a> and surgical techniques. To give just one example, the BCI that monkey used only connected to about 30 neurons; Neuralink\u2019s website says that their device will connect to thousands of neurons<\/a> to allow users full control over their phones and computers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applications and Implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Neuralink\u2019s current focus is on accessibility\u2014allowing people with mobility issues to use computers more easily<\/a>. However, communication between a human brain and a computer has numerous other exciting possibilities.<\/strong> Here are just a few examples of what Neuralink technology could do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n