It just got invasive
So in the previous post we talked about an example of a non-invasive Brain Machine Interface. Well today we go invasive.
Elon Musk has had a fear of Artificial Intelligence. Calling it one of humanities biggest existential threats. One solution to the threat is as the machines advance we need to advance and become something more as humans. We may have to augment ourselves as well.
This is where Musk’s venture, Neuralink, comes from. Some of the problems of using non-invasive techniques is the fidelity of signals are course, and we really can’t get good interaction with the brain. The only way to do this is to get finer connections. This is where we see our rat. Not only has musk come up with finer connections to the brain, he also has created a machine that can automatically insert the wires. What this does for us is a tool that can more accurately process the brain signals. We also tie this up with a nice USB-C connector. So some rats got USB-C before even some of the iPhones.
So what does this plug into?
This is where we can put the link into action. You now have an interface that directly plugs your brain into a computer. The most immediate solution is giving people debilitated with diseases such as ALS either the ability to speak through a computer. The late Steven Hawking had tools to do this but it was very slow. With this new technology it could be as fast as the speed of a good typist.
But how does the brain know how to use this?
Actually in delving in the paper the honest line it is more of a proof of concept. They really talk about that this is a research modality. It is a chance for them to get better at recording high fidelity signals from the brain and iterate on the technology. So really the next part isn’t here yet.
But we have seen other ways this has been done. Neuroplasticity has been tossed around as buzzword. All it really means is learning. If the wiring is for example in the motor cortex you would think about moving something, then the computer can translate this into whatever action you want, whether it be an artificial limb or some computer interface. Just as you learned to walk stumbling and unsteady at first you learn and adapt to where you no longer think about walking.
On the other side of the coin you can input electrical signals into the brain which the brain will also learn to interpret. One possible use the paper suggests is giving back the proprioception data from an artificial limb, which would end up making it feel like your own.
So When Will Future Versions of Ourselves Use the Technology?
That is going to be the big question. We are already augmented humans by virtue of most of us carrying around a cellphone. Putting a data port in your head, however, is a whole different thing. Clearly the initial use will be to help people injured or diseased to have a more normal life. This helps the technology to mature and become safe. Eventually there we be some early adopters who take the technology to be better than normal. And that is were the augmentation of humanity takes off.