Neuralink, the startup founded by Elon Musk, has faced a setback in its quest to develop a revolutionary brain-computer interface. After the success of the brain implant in Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic patient, the initial signs seemed promising. However, almost 4 months after Musk tweeted that Arbaugh’s recovery was favorable and the results were encouraging, the company has reported several issues with the device.
The unique design of Neuralink, which includes a coin-sized disk with 64 flexible threads that extend through the brain tissue, seems to have contributed to the mechanical problems. According to the company, some of these threads did not stay in place, resulting in a decrease in the effective number of electrodes and therefore in the data transfer speed.
The Neuralink blog post does not specify how many threads were extracted or remained in place, but it points out that the retraction of brain threads should not have occurred. Although the company has not provided a detailed explanation of why or how this happened, it is speculated that the natural movement of the brain within the skull may have influenced it.
Compared to the Utah array, an older device considered the cornerstone of brain-computer interface research since the 1980s, the Neuralink implant offers greater advantages, such as being wireless and having 1,024 electrodes. However, this incident has highlighted the complexity and challenges associated with the development of cutting-edge technologies in this field.
Despite the incident, Neuralink managed to livestream a demonstration of its device on March 20, in which Arbaugh was seen using the implant to play chess just by thinking. Experts in the field point out that this setback is part of Neuralink’s learning process, and although it is a setback, it can also be an opportunity to improve and perfect its technology.
