Neuralink, an organization controlled by Elon Musk developed a brain implant or a brain-computer interface (BCI). This BCI was made for people who have severe paralysis to control things like a computer, robotic limb, wheelchair, and more just by thought alone. This brain chip works by recording and then decoding brain activity to hopefully perform a task. A BCI has a direct communication pathway between the brain’s electrical activity and another device.

A couple of months ago in March Neuralink ran its first human trial. The patient was a man named Noland Arbaugh who demonstrated that he could play online chess using his mind. He has lived with paralysis for the past eight years and for the first time in those eight years he gained the ability to perform tasks that he couldn’t do. “I just stare somewhere on the screen and the cursor would move to where I wanted it to,” Arbaugh says. This information creates a very controversial question, was it him or the implant performing the actions?  

BCIs are relatively new to the technological world and companies like Neuralink help symbolize a new era in the merging of the human brain and machine. This technology proves very useful to people like Arbaugh but the company plans to take their versions further. They want to make these implants available to the public to enhance a human’s abilities. 

Should a machine like this that can decode a human brain’s thoughts and perform actions be considered an extension of the brain or something different? This raises questions. If a person with a brain implant thinks of doing something but changes his or her mind will the brain implant automatically process that thought and execute it right away?  Or will it wait a few seconds before acting, which may also raise concerns? 

Although Neuralink raises concerns it can also be the next big step in human-machine intertwining. It opens many doors to philosophical discussions and debates. Neuralink also helps humans extend into technology more than we ever have before.