Neuralink is setting its sights beyond Telepathy with its newest endeavor, Blindsight, an implant designed to restore vision, PCMAg reports. Elon Musk revealed that this ambitious project aims not only to bring sight to those who have lost it but also to those who were born blind.
I should mention that the Blindsight implant is already working in monkeys.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2024
Resolution will be low at first, like early Nintendo graphics, but ultimately may exceed normal human vision.
(Also, no monkey has died or been seriously injured by a Neuralink device!)
Back in 2022, Musk confidently stated, "Even if someone has never had vision ever, like they were born blind, we believe we can still restore vision. Because the visual part of the (brain) cortex is still there."
Blindsight is currently undergoing testing in monkeys, promising a future where its resolution, initially similar to early Nintendo graphics, could surpass that of natural human vision. This announcement follows the demonstration of Neuralink's first brain implant in Nolan Arbaugh, a 29-year-old quadriplegic man. Since receiving the implant in January, Arbaugh has regained control over a computer mouse cursor through thought alone.
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While the technical specifics of how Neuralink's implants function remain under wraps, the success stories shared by Musk and his team offer a glimpse into a future where the boundaries of human capability can be dramatically expanded. From restoring sight to reanimating paralyzed limbs or even integrating with robotic prosthetics, Neuralink's technologies are paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in neural interfaces.
