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Elon Musk's Neuralink Has Successful First Test · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The
• 0:08
  Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink,
• 0:13
  and I'm your host, Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted
• 0:17
  episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to
• 0:20
  clubelon.supercast.com to find out how there's a link in the
• 0:26
  show notes. Recently, Elon Musk announced
• 0:29
  that the first human recipient of the Neuro Link brain implant
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  has successfully managed to control a computer cursor
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  through his thoughts alone. However, the lack of shared
• 0:40
  evidence and details from Neuro Link has led to skepticism and
• 0:44
  concerns about medical researchers regarding the
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  veracity of these claims and the safety of the technology.
• 0:50
  Our report, published in Nature, highlights that the concept of
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  controlling devices through brain implants is not novel in
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  the absence of detailed information from Neuralink
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  prevents the scientific community from verifying the
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  company's assertions and evaluating the risks involved.
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  I was neurosurgeon Samir Chef, with a focus on implanted
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  neurotechnology at the Bayer College of Medicine, expressed
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  concerns about Neuralink's selective disclosure of
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  information indicating A broader apprehension within the medical
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  community about the company's transparency and also their
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  safety protocols. Elon Musk's previous statements
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  on social media platforms claiming the well-being of the
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  human recipient of Neural Link's implant contrast sharply with
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  the company's history of animal testing, which has been marred
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  by ethical and welfare issues raising further alarms about
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  patient safety. Now, disturbing incidents from
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  Neural Link's past animal experiments, such as severe
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  injuries and death in monkeys, have surfaced, highlighting
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  potential risks and ethical dilemmas associated with the
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  company's research practices. Now, doubts also linger about
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  the effectiveness and safety of Neurolink's robotic surgeon used
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  for implanted devices, as its capabilities have not been
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  demonstrated on actual patients but only on a dummy in past
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  footage. A particular case involving a
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  monkey with a malfunctioning implant necessitating euthanasia
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  raises additional concerns about the reliability and the safety
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  of Neurolink's surgical procedures and their equipment.
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  Now, despite these issues, Neuralink's claims of
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  breakthroughs in human brain computer interfaces have not
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  been substantiated, with concrete evidence casting doubt
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  on the company's scientific contributions to the field.
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  Now, experts in BCI research, such as Balu Ajiboy from Case
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  Western Reserve University, point out that the ability for
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  humans to control curses via brain implants has been achieved
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  in the past, and that questions the novelty of Neuralink's
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  achievements. Now, the BCI field has seen
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  significant advancements outside of Neuralink's work, including
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  enabling paralyzed individuals to communicate through digital
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  avatars or control robotic limbs, showcasing the potential
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  of brain implants in transforming those people's
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  lives. Despite criticisms, some
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  researchers acknowledge the value of increased competition
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  and innovation in the BCI space with Neuralink contributes to
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  even if its current achievements may not be so groundbreaking.
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  And Musk's recent statements during a public discussion
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  revealed that Neuralink's first human volunteer has reportedly
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  recovered fully from the implant procedure and can interact with
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  computers through thought, although these claims lack
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  independent verification. Now.
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  Neuralink's N1 device, which is said to facilitate this
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  interaction, incorporates over 1000 electrodes to monitor and
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  influence brain activity. This is a complex and delicate
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  technological endeavor, and Musk's broader ambitions for
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  Neuralink include developing cybernetic limbs and restoring
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  sensory functions. But these goals are currently
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  very far from being realized, partly due to the absence of
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  tangible evidence supporting the company's claimed successes.
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  Now, Musk's history of overstating the capabilities of
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  his company's technologies has seen a various instances with
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  Tesla and SpaceX raises questions about the credibility
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  of his announcements regarding Neuralink's progress.
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  Neuralink's endeavors along with Musk's promotional strategies
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  contribute to his public image as an innovative leader despite
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  the controversies and legal challenges that have accompanied
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  some of his claims with Neuralink, SpaceX and also
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  Tesla. The development of BC is,
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  including those by Neuralink, offer invaluable insights into
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  brain functionality and neuroplasticity, expanding our
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  understanding of how the brain interacts with external devices
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  and adapts to new forms of communication and control.
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  Through BCI research, scientists are uncovering more about the
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  brain structure and function, challenging previous notions and
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  paving the way for future innovations that could
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  revolutionize the medical treatments and enhance human
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  capabilities. Hey, thank you so much for
• 4:52
  listening today. I really do appreciate your
• 4:54
  support. If you could take a second and
• 4:56
  hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
• 4:59
  platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly
• 5:02
  appreciate it. It helps out the show
• 5:03
  tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
• 5:06
  And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
• 5:10
  caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
• 5:12
  support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stage Zero and
• 5:18
  please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
• 5:21
  tomorrow.