Nolad Arbaugh recently demoed using Neuralink to play video games. The quadriplegic was the first to get the experimental chip installed. Now he can play chess, Civilization VI and even control a music app with the Neuralink implant.
I would say this is a huge first step. Improving control for quadriplegics is a significant quality of life enhancement, despite the remaining issues with the technology. More compelling is how this could affect a future workforce. Suddenly, an entire group of people deemed unable to work and contribute more to the world.
It makes me imagine what could have been accomplished if Stephan Hawking had this or a similar implant. Would the rate of his research and insights increased?
As the world stands right now, a quadriplegic has very limited engagement in the world. Matching your outer experience with your inner experience can benefit both you and the world.
Beyond the extreme application of helping people with a variety of disabilities, the potential use for healthy people is tremendous. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have been dreamed about for decades. The ability to augment to human brain to control the physical world at the speed of thought is very exciting.
This opens up the entire industry of embedded technology. All those Sci-Fi tropes suddenly become within our reach. Now our phones will disappear and be a display that floats in our field of view and controlled by our BCI.
Beyond simple utility, this also creates the possibility of human enhancement. Devices that can increase cognitive abilities or reduce fatigue. As well as a host of military applications.
This technology is a groundbreaking force that will disrupt countless legacy products in the industry. While cost and adoption will always be an obstacle, BCI’s will be the PC of the next century.
-jm