Neuralink, Musk's brain chip company planning human clinical trials
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Musk says the implants have already been tested on a macaque and pig and claims they may help the paralyzed walk again.
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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk
The brain chip company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is prepared to begin human clinical trials.
Musk, who co-founded Neuralink in 2016, has stated that the technology will "enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs."
The firm has previously tested on a monkey and a pig and is now looking for a "clinical trial director," to oversee human trials of the technology.
Neuralink posted an earlier video depicting a monkey with an implanted chip playing the Pong game with only its thoughts.
The job posting for the opportunity in Fremont, California, details how the director will "work closely with some of the most innovative doctors and top engineers, as well as working with Neuralink's first clinical trial participants."
The ad details that the director will be responsible for enabling Neuralink's research activities and developing interactions that come with a "fast-paced and ever-evolving environment."
Musk told the Wall Street Journal last month that the implants may allow tetraplegics and quadriplegics to walk again, pending approval by the FDA.
“I think we have a chance with Neuralink to restore full-body functionality to someone who has a spinal cord injury. Neuralink’s working well in monkeys, and we’re actually doing just a lot of testing and just confirming that it’s very safe and reliable and the Neuralink device can be removed safely.”
Musk has a history of overstating the progress of the company. In 2019, he anticipated that the chip could be inserted in a human skull by 2020 and "implanted flush with skull & charges wirelessly, so you look and feel totally normal."
He claims people should conceive technology as "replacing faulty/missing neurons with circuits."
The startup is also looking for a "clinical trial coordinator" to assist establish a team of individuals to administer the experiment and communicate with authorities, promising that they would have the "opportunity to change the world."
