Miguel Nicolellis, known as a pioneer in the field of brain-computer interfaces, is critical of the brain-computer interface carried out by Elon Musk's company Neuralink. Nicol Laelis is a professor of neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine, where he has more than two decades of research experience and has trained numerous experts in the field, including Max Hodak, co-founder and former CEO of Neuralink.
Nicolellis said that brain-computer imaging should focus on safety, emphasizing that the challenges are not only technical, but also medical and social. He believes that Musk's claims that brain-computer interfaces can achieve mind control, memory uploading and even immortality are just marketing strategies and are not beneficial to the scientific development of the field of brain-computer interfaces. Nicolellis expressed complete disagreement with these statements by Musk.
On the other hand, Musk's Neuralink company has made some progress in invasive brain-computer interfaces. In 2022, Neuralink announced two future directions to help blind people regain their sight and help spinal cord injured people regain mobility, while planning to enter human trials in the next six months. Neuralink has already achieved some results in animal experiments, such as implanting sensors in the brains of pigs and monkeys and successfully realizing the reading and processing of EEG signals.
Neuralink is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical trials in humans. Musk himself has said that he will implant a brain-computer interface device in his brain once human testing begins.
Nicolellis is critical of Musk's Neuralink and its brain-computer technology, emphasizing the importance of safety and medical-societal challenges, while Musk is confident in his company's technology and future direction, and has made progress in animal experiments in preparation for human trials.