The first invasive brain chip that Neuralink embedded into a human brain has malfunctioned, with neuron-surveilling threads appearing to have become dislodged from the participant’s brain, the company revealed in a blog post Wednesday.

It’s unclear what caused the threads to become “retracted” from the brain, how many have retracted, or if the displaced threads pose a safety risk. Neuralink, the brain-computer interface startup run by controversial billionaire Elon Musk, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Ars. The company said in its blog post that the problem began in late February, but it has since been able to compensate for the lost data to some extent by modifying its algorithm.

  • ivanafterall@kbin.social
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    6 months ago

    The company said in its blog post that the problem began in late February, but it has since been able to compensate for the lost data to some extent by modifying its algorithm.

    Because that’s what people are worried about: THE LOST DATA.

    • mhague@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      When a computer reads some signal, the 0s and 1s in it’s memory is the data. The data must be processed so that the computer can understand it.

      This computer is using threads to read neuron activity. It must necessarily receive data because if it didn’t it wouldn’t be reading neuron activity. They’re the same thing.

      This data is processed so that the computer can make sense of the brain. Once it understands some activity it generates signals that can control external devices.

      Here’s an example. Imagine a device that monitors the heart and does something to fix a problem. The device would get data on the heart and process the data so that it can perform it’s function.

      Wouldn’t monitoring health concerns and mitigating data loss be extremely important in these scenarios?

      • 📛Maven@lemmy.sdf.org
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        The point is that this is the opening paragraph about something going wrong in human brain surgery, and the first thing they tell us is “don’t worry, the data’s fine”, rather than anything about the human. Indeed, you have to read to the last paragraph to find:

        Arbaugh’s safety does not appear to be negatively impacted.

        • Ech@lemm.ee
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          and the first thing they tell us is “don’t worry, the data’s fine”, rather than anything about the human.

          I do agree it would have been significantly more considerate to mention that the person is ok first, but I feel like you’re confusing data storage (ie something they’re collecting) with data processing (ie how the device operates). The data in question is the latter. In other words, they are explaining that the problems are being accounted for so that the device can still function in the human it’s attached to.

          • 📛Maven@lemmy.sdf.org
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            6 months ago

            No, I understood that, I did read the article. I’m lambasting the fact that in an article about “brain chip gone wrong”, burying the “but human seems to be unharmed” at the end of an article is indicative of a set of priorities wildly different from my own.

    • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      TY! My first thought was he was this poor sweet guy who just wanted to play Civ and fell for this grifter

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    I can’t believe anyone willingly got this after the monkey testing thing. They have to be taking advantage of people not fit to make decisions for themselves.

    • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      The patient became quadriplegia in a car accident, I wouldn’t call it unfit for decisions but definitely someone desperate to find a sense of normalcy.

      • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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        Guy has nothing left to lose really, I don’t blame him for taking this risk considering I would strongly consider it myself were I in his situation

        • slaacaa@lemmy.world
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          Yes, unfortunately this is the case. In an article I read the guy was able to pay chess and Age of Empires with his thoughts and the chip, quite impressive tech indeed, it’s just that you absolutely cannot trust anything near Musk

        • TheDarksteel94@sopuli.xyz
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          6 months ago

          The only thing he could lose is only a few important brain functions, if something truly does go wrong. Nothing major. /s

          • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            I mean, in that position I’d probably be willing to gamble with my life. Not with Musk involved, but if there was a similar opportunity without his involvement. It would be an honorable death, too, as long as it didn’t result in a halt on the research.

            If I could fully trust the ones doing it, there is a certain % of death risk I’d be willing to take as a healthy person once the tech is more mature. The possibilities of such technology are endless, especially as the tech becomes more interactive rather than just observing and acting on those observations. I’m not sure if I’d want to live in the Matrix, but I’d love to at least visit it or play VR games based on that tech. Altered Carbon would be interesting, too.

            • beebarfbadger@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Sure, the possibilities are endless, so the first thing we’ll get that has any research money and effort put into it is how to turn it into an advertising platform and then maximally enshittifying it as soon as there’s a market share to speak of.

              • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                Yeah, that “if I could trust it” is pulling a lot of weight there. Like I decline fucking website cookies. Tech like that has way more invasive potential. Maybe they wouldn’t even need to advertise and could directly make you just buy things or give them free labour. You’d just need a module to make a person act like a normal happy person and then with that could potentially do anything “under the hood” without being detected. The possibilities are endless in the dystopian direction, too. Realistically, “if I could trust it” isn’t a requirement that can be met.

                • beebarfbadger@lemmy.world
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                  6 months ago

                  Oh, they’d never do anything as sinister as that. That may still be illegal (if the ultra-rich lobbying hasn’t taken care of that obstacle by that point).

                  Instead, they’ll just make sure that whatever essential core service they’ve built a monopoly in by just muscling the poorer competitors out of the race will cease to be offered to you if you refuse to hand all your money over to them.

                  See also: insulin, hospital treatment, etc. This is just a new playing field to find old prey in.

      • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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        Not many options I guess. Sucks to have to gamble on the crazy billionaire with a lot of faulty shit.

      • Psythik@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Wait, is that what these brain chips are for? Well now I can’t hate on them as much as I used to if they’re meant to help people learn how to walk again. I thought it was just supposed to help you process thoughts more quickly or something, like a math coprocessor in an old 90s PC.

  • MuchPineapples@lemmy.world
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    I don’t know which company I would trust developing my brain implant, but it sure as hell isn’t Tesla. Their software and hardware history is less than stellar.

    • tektite@slrpnk.net
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      It’s ok, there’s still other companies to choose from. Twitter can develop your brain implant instead!

      • beebarfbadger@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Have you considered upgrading to the Ultra Premium Deluxe Version? For just 99.99- a month, you can actually use what you bought!

    • el_abuelo@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      For stellar technology you need to go to SpaceX. You’ve been shopping at the wrong Musk store.

      • Emerald@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Musk store

        Welcome to the Musk store! Go over to customer service and get your brain implant. Then you can start shopping and your Neuralink will know what items you put in your cart. The most convienent shopping experience ever! Just don’t shoplift, we’ll know.

      • CuttingBoard@sopuli.xyz
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        6 months ago

        Will Yankee Candle Company have a delightful smelling implant for me? Hmmm I wonder what Cracker Barrel will come up with. The future is here, and it smells amazing.

      • beebarfbadger@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        It’s fiiiiine, I wouldn’t want a stupid brain chip that’s NOT on fire anyway. Looks much cooler and I bet that’s just how Daddy Elon planned it to be.

  • Thrashy@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Well, that’ll happen if you don’t take your Neuropozyne. Their test subject should have budgeted for that before getting augmented.

  • TacticsConsort@yiffit.net
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    6 months ago

    Well… that’s probably the most expected thing to ever be expected. It was never a matter of ‘if’, it was a matter of when.

    • Alimentar@lemm.ee
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      Through consent. The guy probably either has terminal illness and is happy to contribute to research or is completely paralysed, that an operation like this could benefit both parties.

      It’s an agreement and I’m sure the risks are expressed to the individual.