Testing is expected to begin later this year. In other words: Elon Musk is about to implant a chip in the brain of the first human patient through Neuralink.

Recently, we reported that Elon Musk and his Neuralink received permission to implant chips in the brains of human patients. Now the multi-billionaire has announced that the first such operation will probably take place before the end of this year.

Elon Musk is ready to implant a chip in the human brain

According to Reuters, the first patient is to be a man suffering from paralysis of the lower limbs. The Neuralink chip is a chance for him to get prostheses that he can precisely and seamlessly control his thoughts.

Paralyzed people are to be one of the main beneficiaries of this technology. However, they will not be the only ones. Neuralink brain implants are also intended to help treat autism and schizophrenia, as well as fight obesity, tinnitus and depression.

However, the applications of chips are not limited to medicine. Neuralink aims to make implants transform communication between humans and machines: they can enable fast writing of messages and easy control of electronic devices.

Is it safe?

The list of volunteers includes Elon Musk himself. He sees brain implants as one of the most important technologies of our time and is convinced that this technology is completely safe for humans.

Clinical trials on human patients are supposed to confirm this. If this happens, a commercial use permit may be issued in a few years. However, technology is already causing a lot of controversy.

It is worth recalling that Neuralink is under strict federal control. This is due to reports of improperly conducted experiments on animals. According to Reuters, errors in the tests led to the deaths of monkeys, pigs and sheep.