Elon Musk’s Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company, has received clearance for its first human clinical study, as announced on Twitter. However, the social media response revealed a mixed sentiment towards the technology.
While the news drew praise from some Twitter users, many expressed doubts and fears over the idea of having an artificial chip in their brains. These concerns may have been fueled by the public’s longstanding fear of malevolent AI, a concern that Musk himself has alluded to recently.
Several tweets pointed to Musk’s past ambitious projects, some of which have seen high-profile failures, such as spontaneous fires in Tesla vehicles and exploding rockets at SpaceX. These incidents led to questions about Musk’s ability to safely pioneer a technology as delicate as brain implants.
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Neuralink’s stated goal is to create implants to aid paralyzed individuals, an objective that Swiss researchers have recently achieved according to the New York Times.
Musk, known for his audacious visions like colonizing Mars and revolutionizing traffic management, has also faced criticism recently for technical issues on his Twitter Spaces during Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 campaign announcement.
Despite the negative reactions, Musk has indicated that he is willing to get the implant himself once human trials commence, which could somewhat counterbalance the skepticism.
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