It’s still coming soon . just like it was in 2019, and 2020, and 2021, and 2022
Despite years of proclamations by Elon Musk that human tests were just around the corner, it turns out his Neuralink brain-implant startup has already asked the US Food and Drug Administration for permission to conduct human tests – and been rejected.
For those who can’t recall, Neuralink is trying to make a chip that can be inserted into your skull and connected to your brain so that your neural signals can be accessed by a connected computer or phone. It’s hoped this interface widget will open up a world of computer-brain interaction as well as help people with neurological issues communicate, see, and move again with the help of software. Developing such a thing will require testing on humans.
Seven current and former Neuralink employees told Reuters that Neuralink applied for human testing with the FDA in early 2022, and was given a list of dozens of reasons why the watchdog wasn’t okay with the prospect.
The list of concerns, we’re told, included worries over the fact that Neuralink implants are powered by lithium batteries, fears the wires used by the implants could migrate to different parts of the brain, and concerns over whether the implants could be removed without causing brain damage.
