Elon Musk’s Brain Chips Gain Thousands of Applicants
Neuralink, the brain chip startup founded eccentric billionaire Elon Musk, has received approval for human trials. According to a Bloomberg report, the trials have drawn thousands of eager applicants. The process entails removing a piece of the patient’s skull so that a large robot can insert electrodes and thin wires into their brain.
Interestingly enough, Musk’s real-life plans bear a resemblance to the plot of the 2015 movie “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” In the movie, a tech tycoon announces a plan to give everyone SIM cards with implanted free phone and internet access. The plot includes a climate change scientist whose chip, similar to Neuralink, explodes behind his ear. The protagonist, a secret agent, ultimately thwarts the plan hacking into the chips and causing them to explode, killing the elite.
Despite these parallels, it’s unlikely that Musk took inspiration from the film for his Neuralink venture. Additionally, Musk is not looking to control people’s minds with his chips, as he has expressed a belief that the planet needs more people, not less.
Neuralink is also keen to avoid any potential accidents. Shivon Zilis, Neuralink’s director of special projects and a parent of twins with Musk, humorously acknowledged the need for caution: “We can’t blow up the first three. That’s not an option here.”