Humans controlling computers with their minds has been a staple of science fiction movies for many years, but who would’ve imagined that this fiction would be brought to reality as soon as the 2020s? Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, recently engineered a chip that transmits brain signals to control a computer. At the mere thought of this, our imaginations can’t help but lose control of the possibilities. Excitement, fear, anxiety, relief—everyone feels differently about the recent successful trial on Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic who volunteered to undergo a Neuralink implant. Arbaugh used his regained ability to control the mouse cursor on his computer to play chess and Civilization VI, despite being paralyzed. That’s just one example of Neuralink’s main objective—to provide incapacitated patients with the ability to use technologies to live as freely as anyone else. But their chips have the potential to revolutionize not just the lives of those with physical limitations but also how everyone throughout the world perceives and interacts with technology as a whole. However, as with any groundbreaking advancement, Neuralink’s journey is not without its complexities and ethical considerations. Questions about data privacy, consent, and the potential societal impacts of widespread brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) loom large. Yet, the undeniable promise of enhancing human capabilities, restoring lost functionalities, and ushering in a new era of human potential through Neuralink’s innovations cannot be overstated. At the very least, Neuralink has opened the floodgates for merging humans with computers, and it’s hard to imagine that similar products won’t ever become renowned names. That’s why physicians and pre-meds need to be familiar with what’s coming, exploring both sides of the issue to navigate these waters in the best way for patients.
Our nervous systems work off basic electrical impulses. This is how we move, think, and even control our heartbeat. Computers do too, and that’s the idea that Neuralink is attempting to take advantage of. As neuroscience research identifies which parts of the brain send out which signals, we can then create a system that links us to machines like with Noland Arbaugh. It’s just a matter of discovering how to translate our thoughts into code that precisely replicates what we want a computer to do. Neuralink’s method is to use their N1 chip to receive the brain’s electrical signals, store it, and then send it to a computer that can process the information and carry out what the person is thinking. This raises the first ethical concern for Neuralink—how do we know that our thoughts are going to be able to remain safe and private? It’s certainly dangerous to remember an important password or a social security number and have it sent off to a computer that’s been compromised. Any hacker could potentially extract that information and gain access to a patient’s sensitive accounts, records, or other kinds of information. Additionally, companies could develop data farming algorithms that use the information from a patient’s thoughts to provide personalized ads and other services that infringe on their privacy. With BCIs constantly turned on and reading information, there is also the issue of how much control a patient has over the thoughts that are interpreted. Will patients be able to maintain consent over the handling of their data? Transparency will be incredibly important when it comes to these technologies. Patients must be able to see what data is being stored and how, who has access to it, and what can be done with it. Unfortunately, this is another area where Neuralink is drawing criticism. Clinical trials usually register on ClinicalTrials.gov, which gives the public and other researchers a standard set of information about their ongoing research. While their decision to not register doesn’t necessarily imply anything bad about Neuralink’s practices, it does raise the question of why they chose not to follow this simple convention. As a result, people are worried about what Neuralink could hide. As Neuralink and similar BCI companies develop, methods for guaranteeing data safety and patients’ control over their own data need to be developed alongside it.
Interestingly, another one of the questions posed by Neuralink is how it could impact societal equity. Elon Musk’s overarching goal is to prevent humans getting “left behind” as AI becomes more powerful and expansive. According to him, the way to do so is to merge humanity with AI, and Neuralink is a step in this direction. This involves a hefty price tag, however. Not only is an implantation operation required—with surgeons, staff, and facilities all carrying their own cost—, but the device itself, its maintenance, and treatment as overseen by a professional with the right expertise could all create a financial burden for low-income patients. The solution could lie in insurance companies providing coverage for the patients that would see a medical benefit from it. But accessibility to the larger public would limit these strictly medical purposes of the devices, as they would no longer be to provide relief from a medical ailment but to further the integration of humanity and AI. Insurance companies may choose to only cover costs up to a certain amount or none at all, creating a disparity between those who can afford the most innovative BCIs without coverage and those who can’t. In the age of Neuralink, this could perpetuate inequity in the same way that limited computer and internet access harms underprivileged communities in our digital world. Perhaps humanity as a whole won’t be left behind AI even at the lowest threshold, but a gradient of how much we keep up with computers could manifest.
However, none of this is to say that BCIs are terrible. It’s clear just how significant Neuralink could be to patients when it restores the functions they’ve lost and might otherwise never regain. For many pre-meds and physicians alike, seeing people take control of their lives like this is something that fills us with excitement and happiness, and it’s the same altruism seemingly shared by Neuralink. It’s a compelling case to gain the medical community’s support. Yet, Neuralink’s potential to revolutionize technology is nearly equal to the dangers it presents, and a blind eye can’t be turned to that. Overall, we don’t know what it could bring, and that skepticism isn’t invalid. However, this isn’t a reason we should abandon it. Neuralink’s journey is still too far from the end to start drawing absolute conclusions on it yet, but we can see what it brings. The question should be how to prevent its various issues, so that we can uphold the way society could benefit from it. By encouraging the advancement of these promising technologies, all the while advocating for the policies that must be adopted to safeguard patients and society, then we can set ourselves up to stand at the brink of an exciting age for both medicine and humanity.
References
- Brown, Stephanie. “Here’s What Elon Musk’s Neuralink Brain Chip Is Supposed to Do.” Verywell Health, 17 November 2023, https://www.verywellhealth.com/neuralink-brain-implant-elon-musk-8401852.
- “ClinicalTrials.gov – What, Why, Which Studies, When.” Boston University Medical Campus, https://www.bumc.bu.edu/ohra/clinicaltrials-gov/clinicaltrials-gov-what-why-which-studies-when/. Accessed 21 April 2024.
- Kan, Michael. “First Human to Receive Neuralink Implant Says It Lets Him Play Civilization VI.” PC Mag, 20 March 2024, https://www.pcmag.com/news/first-human-to-receive-neuralink-implant-says-it-lets-him-play-civilization.
- Musk, Elon and Neuralink. “An Integrated Brain-Machine Interface Platform With Thousands of Channels.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, 31 October 2019, https://doi.org/10.2196%2F16194.
- Samuel, Sigal. “Elon Musk Wants to Merge Humans With AI. How Many Brains Will Be Damaged Along The Way?” Vox, 21 March 2024, https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23899981/elon-musk-ai-neuralink-brain-computer-interface.
- “Unpacking The Ethical Issues Swirling Around Neuralink.” Fast Company, 15 February 2024, https://www.fastcompany.com/91029453/unpacking-the-ethical-issues-swirling-around-neuralink.
MedConnect 