Give me the latest update on Neuralink

Neuralink, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup founded by Elon Musk, is gearing up to implant its second human patient with a brain chip. The company has been working to address hardware challenges with the first patient, Noland Arbaugh, who received the implant in May.

Recent Developments

• Neuralink is expected to implant its second human patient within the next week or so, according to Elon Musk.

• The company is taking risk mitigation measures to prevent threads from retracting, which happened in the first trial. This includes skull sculpting, which brings the implant closer to the brain and reduces pressure on threads.

• Neuralink is working to improve the functionality of the implant, with only around 15% of the channels in Arbaugh’s implant currently functional.

• Despite these challenges, Arbaugh has been able to use the BCI to watch videos, read, and play chess and other video games for up to 70 hours per week.

Long-term Goals

• Neuralink’s ultimate goal is to create a “closer symbiosis between human intelligence and digital intelligence” and to “mitigate the longer civilizational risk of AI.”

• Musk has stated that he hopes to give people “superpowers” through Neuralink’s brain-chips, enabling them to control digital devices with their minds.

Timeline

• Neuralink expects to test patients in the “high single digits” by the end of the year, if things go well.

• The company is working to improve the functionality and stability of the implant, with the goal of making it more widespread in the future.

Neuralink is making progress towards its goal of creating a brain-computer interface that enables people to control digital devices with their minds. While there are still challenges to be addressed, the company’s long-term goals are ambitious and could potentially have a significant impact on the future of human-computer interaction.