Company is seeking people with paralysis to test its experimental device after getting green light from independent review board

Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, said it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruiting patients for its first human trial. The company is seeking people with paralysis to test its experimental device in a six-year study.

Neuralink is one of several companies developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can collect and analyze brain signals. But its billionaire executive’s bombastic promotion of the company, including promises to develop an all-encompassing brain computer to help humans keep up with artificial intelligence, has attracted skepticism and raised ethical concerns among neuroscientists and other experts.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration denied the company’s request to fast-track human trials, but in May approved Neuralink for an investigational device exemption (IDE) that allows a device to be used for clinical studies. The agency has not disclosed how its initial concerns were resolved.

  • Leraje
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    1 year ago

    Musk: “Scumbags of the world are welcome on my platforms!”

    Also Musk: “Let me put this device in your brain.”

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’ll never get into testing…

      Everyone that would volunteer, doesn’t have a place for the implant to go

      • esadatari@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        i would say i don’t get it for the low hanging fruit troll, but fuck that. they really are just that stupid

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I’d feel bad if this was the only option for those who are paralyzed, but it’s not.

          The tech has existed for decades. Musk is just trying to shrink it so it’s less noticable, he’s just doing it before the tech is ready