By Somnath Mallela
Computers are surpassing humans in every skill imaginable, and probably the human race will be left behind very soon. Machines can now play better poker than us, beat world chess champions, detect diseases not even doctors with several decades can identify.
Artificial Intelligence might soon just be looking at us as nothing more than mere pets and might even have a much greater leeway without us doing anything at all.
While AI is on its way to outpacing humanity at an unprecedented rate, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has yet again come up with a rather unconventional, controversial and yet brilliant idea.
The 46-year-old multi-billionaire entrepreneur has raised $27 million for Neuralink, a company created to link human brains with computers and seamlessly allow us to access the internet and other immeasurable volumes of data at a neural level.
The Science Behind It
Musk started Neuralink to link the human brain with computers by creating micron-sized devices to be surgically implanted into the human brain – the neural lace. Basically, the neural lace device will be growing with your brain once inserted.
The neural lace’s primary purpose is to allow the human brain to effortlessly access the internet and thus, keep up with and hopefully someday merge with, artificial intelligence systems.
Musk asserted, “The neural lace could push our cognitive performance to levels that are comparable to that of AI. Now, we may finally be getting something solid.”
Musk Is Not Alone In This Brain Hacking Race
Elon Musk is not the only one working to ensure that humanity can keep up with AI. Braintree founder Bryan Johnson is investing $100 million to build technology to unlock the power of the human brain and, ultimately make our neural code programmable.
Stating that it’s all about co-evolution, Johnson outlines the purpose of his work:
“Our connections with our new creations of intelligence is limited by screens, keyboards, gestural interfaces, and voice commands. We have very little access to our own brains, limited our ability to evolve with the silicon-based machines in a powerful way. We at Braintree want to change it.”
Johnson launched a company Kernel, which wants to do more than just allow humans to interface with computers.
The technology of neuroprosthesis is intended towards allowing our brains to repair our human body, particularly any neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS.
Advancements of this kind would allow us to literally program our own neural code, allowing us to transform ourselves in ways unimaginable. X-men could just be a big reality in the near future.
Also Read: 7 Insane (But True) Things About Elon Musk
Industries That Brain Hacking Could Transform
The massive gaming industry standing at the forefront of VR development will see a huge leap of advancements with brain hacking.
The future of education has been envisioned as students being able to learn through real-time simulation of their own brains and bodies in classrooms.
Enhanced brain-computing systems could put an end to surveys and focus groups which are notoriously flawed, hence improving business by eliminating biased opinions and intentions of individuals.
Needless to say, healthcare and mental health treatment will get the Midas touch and be reliable like never before.
Brain hacking will also play a major role on the battlefield. It will give soldiers the ability to heal faster, repair their cognitive distortions, plan better and faster.
This envisioned possibility of human brain hacking and neural lace is the next big thing in the tech world. The human race shows dominance once again.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Futurism, CB Insights,
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