Neuralink, Elon Musk's cyborg gamble

WASHINGTON, May 27, (AFP) Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-implant company, has won US approval to test on humans. Here is what to know about the multi-billionaire's dream project to enable the human brain to communicate directly with computers.

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk along with a team of scientists and engineers in 2016 to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers.

The aim is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson's, and ultimately achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.

Neuralink's technology would mainly work through an implant called the “Link” -- a device about the size of five stacked coins that would be placed inside the human brain through invasive surgery.

The hardware would harbor electrodes capable of both recording neural activity and stimulating specific regions of the brain.

Researchers hope the implant's powers will also treat paralysis, spinal cord injuries and brain disorders.

It could also potentially blur the line between human consciousness and computing, an idea that has long excited technologists, while feeding nightmares of a dystopian future taken over by cyborgs.