Elon Musk’s brain chip startup, Neuralink, continues to attract significant interest. Company management announced that approximately 10,000 people are lined up to try the brain-computer interface implant, which is implanted in the skull.

Neuralink is conducting clinical trials through a global application system that allows volunteers to participate. So far, 12 people have been implanted with brain chips, and an additional 13 are planned to be included in the trial by the end of the year.

Music Can Be Listened to from the Brain

Neuralink’s clinical trials are currently only open to individuals who have suffered a stroke due to certain health conditions. This group typically includes individuals with motor neuron disease or spinal cord injury.

Elon Musk, however, says the long-term goal is much more ambitious. According to Musk, future versions of the brain chip could be used not only for paralyzed individuals but also for healthy individuals. This would enable the human brain to establish a symbiotic connection with artificial intelligence, enabling revolutionary features such as listening to music directly from the brain, restoring sight to the blind, and even telepathic-like communication.

According to Musk, people will eventually be able to digitize their memories and even upload this data to a robot body or cloned copy.

The company’s current N1 brain chip communicates with computers via Bluetooth. Patients currently in testing can use the chip to move robotic arms, browse the internet, and play video games. However, experts warn that such brain-computer interfaces could raise significant ethical, legal, and security concerns.