Neuralink: Elon Musk's brain chip company raises another $650 million
Fremont. Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink has raised $650 million (€569 million) in fresh funding from investors. The funding will, among other things, enable more patients to access the technology, Neuralink announced. So far, the chip has been implanted in five people with spinal cord injuries. It is designed to enable them to operate a smartphone—and other technology—with their thoughts.
The money will also be used to develop "innovative future devices" for a deeper connection between "biological and artificial intelligence." Tech billionaire Musk said at the technology's 2019 presentation that Neuralink implants could serve as an interface for "symbiosis with artificial intelligence" in the future. This is Neuralink's fifth round of funding.
When people begin to move, a specific area of the brain becomes active. The implant's electrodes pick up these signals. This means that simply imagining a movement should be enough to control a cursor on a computer. According to the company, a patient with the Neuralink implant can surf the internet, play chess, and play the video game "Mario Kart," among other things.
Research into similar brain-computer interfaces has been ongoing for years, and some people have already received various implants. Neuralink also has several competitors who also want to use the technology commercially.
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