Elon Musk's Neuralink Implant: FDA Approval and Potential Impact on Disease Treatment

Editorial, CNBC Indonesia

Tech

Wednesday, 09/20/2023 20:20 IWST

Photo: Neuralink logo and photo of Elon Musk. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Elon Musk has obtained permission to implant chips into human brains through startup Neuralink.

The company is negotiating with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the number of patients to be tested for the first time. Previously, Neuralink applied for 10 people, but the FDA still had questions about its safety.

According to Neuralink, people who have paralysis due to cervical spine injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be eligible for the study.

The trial will be carried out for 6 years. Until now it is not known how many people took part in the trial.

The study will use robots to implant a computer interface in the brain (BCI). The part of the brain that will be the ‘home’ for the Neuralink chip is the one that controls human movement.

Quoted from ReutersWednesday (20/9/2023), the chip will be able to control the cursor and computer keyboard directly from the human brain.

Elon Musk has big ambitions for Neuralink. According to him, chip implants in the brain are able to provide treatment for various diseases. For example obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.

Last May, Neuralink received permission from the FDA to carry out the first trials directly on the human brain. Experts predict that implanting chips in the human brain will be used commercially within the next decade.

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