Latest news with #Neuralink
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Connected Minds: Preparing For The Cognitive Gig Economy
Alex Lazovsky is a General Partner at Palo Alto Growth Capital, a VC firm based in Palo Alto, California—the heart of Silicon Valley. Imagine a future freelancer leasing out a slice of their own mind to a multinational corporation for an hour. In this speculative future, neural implants could allow human brains to plug into a shared 'neural cloud' on demand. Brainpower becomes a tradable resource—cognitive gig workers for hire. It sounds like science fiction, yet rapid advances in neurotechnology and big investments in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) could someday bring that vision closer to reality. To understand how these advancements could affect businesses and investors, let's take a closer look at the existing technology and where it may be heading. Neurotech startups are already blurring the line between man and machine. Neuralink recently raised over $600 million in a funding round, catapulting its valuation to about $9 billion. This investor enthusiasm reflects the 'convergence of neuroscience and AI' and the belief that it could redefine how humans interact with technology. Neuralink demonstrated a human patient controlling a cursor and even browsing the internet using only their thoughts—early evidence of the transformative potential of high-bandwidth brain implants. Neuralink is not alone. Synchron, an Australian-American firm, has developed a less invasive implant that can be fed into the brain's blood vessels via the jugular vein, avoiding open brain surgery. Meanwhile, Precision Neuroscience raised over $100 million to develop an implant enabling users to control devices with thought. Venture capital is flooding into neurotech—total funding topped $2.3 billion in 2024, a more than threefold increase from just two years prior. From medical device firms to Big Tech, many investors see the brain as the next big platform. These efforts focus initially on healing—giving paralyzed patients new means to communicate or control prosthetics. But their long-term implications could reach further. Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts that by the early 2030s, we may be able to network the human neocortex to the cloud over high-bandwidth connections. Companies like Neuralink, Paradromics and Blackrock Neurotech are already working on the technical substrate—micron-scale electrode threads and wireless interfaces—that might one day support a neural internet. Early research offers intriguing hints. In one experiment, neuroscientists connected three people's brains so they could jointly play a Tetris-like game via brain-to-brain communication. The system, dubbed BrainNet, showed that multiple minds can collaborate through a direct neural link, even across the internet. 'Our results raise the possibility of future brain-to-brain interfaces that enable cooperative problem-solving by humans using a 'social network' of connected brains,' the team noted. If human brains become nodes on a neural network, a new marketplace may emerge around cognitive capacity on demand. Just as cloud computing turned computing power into a utility, a 'cognitive gig economy' could turn mental work into a cloud service. Individuals might rent out spare brain bandwidth in exchange for payment, performing data analysis, pattern recognition or creative brainstorming via direct neural link. A company of the future might hire 1,000 connected minds for an hour to crowdsource a tough research problem—not by convening a meeting but by literally tapping into distributed human brains through the neural cloud. Such scenarios sound surreal, yet they extrapolate from trends already in motion. Automation and AI are transforming traditional jobs, but paradoxically, human intelligence may become a commodity itself—outsourced, fractional and ubiquitous. Knowledge workers could one day freelance their neurons, akin to Uber drivers lending their cars or time. A 'Brain-as-a-Service' industry might arise, with exchanges or platforms matching those who need cognitive help with those willing to provide it via neural link. For all its promise, this cognitive gig economy raises profound ethical and societal questions. If your brain is connected to the cloud, who safeguards your mental privacy? Brain data can reveal deeply personal information—emotions, memories, even subconscious biases. Questions of cognitive liberty loom large: Would people feel pressured to get brain implants to compete in the future job market? Could employers favor workers who can literally 'multitask' with an AI coprocessor in their heads? There's also the risk of neuro-exploitation. In a world where disadvantaged individuals might rent out their mental processing to make ends meet, new forms of inequality could emerge. The cognitive gig economy might empower people to earn money with their minds, but it could also commoditize human cognition, treating thoughts as labor units. If the 'main products of the 21st-century economy' indeed become 'bodies, brains and minds,' as Yuval Noah Harari suggests, society must grapple with how to value and protect those minds in the marketplace. What steam power and electricity were to past centuries, neural interfaces might be to this one—a general-purpose technology that could transform economies and lives. For forward-looking investors and executives, I recommend keeping a close eye on your head because it may also be your next capital asset. If the next era becomes one of connected minds, those who can balance bold innovation with human-centered ethics might shape a future where brainpower for hire could truly benefit humanity. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Neuralink讓玩家用意志玩《神諭：原罪2》！馬斯克曝下一步：讓失明的人看得見
除了太空中的 SpaceX、地上跑的特斯拉之外，美國科技巨頭伊隆馬斯克（Elon Musk）手上其實還有另一個非常科幻的大腦晶片公司 Neuralink，致力於探索用大腦植入設備來治療那些非常棘手的腦部疾病。而沒想到，最近國外就有一名接受 Neuralink 腦機介面手術的患者分享，接受手術後一週內他竟然就能用意志遊玩《神諭：原罪2》，似乎也象徵著 Neuralink 在探索腦機介面與大腦植入物技術又往前了一點。 國外網友 Rob Greiner 日前在 X 上分享，自己在一周前接受美國科技巨頭馬斯克旗下大腦晶片公司 Neuralink 的手術後身體狀態又更進步了，在 Neuralink 的幫助下，四肢因車禍癱瘓的他一週內就能順利透過自己的意志操控，遊玩《神諭：原罪2》這種比較複雜的遊戲，也讓他感到非常震驚。 Absolutely amazing what I can do already in under a week with Neuralink! I can't thank the Neuralink team, the doctors, the surgeons and all of my family and friends support. It may only look like I'm doing a couple games but it's been under a week and I'm already shocked! — Rob Greiner (@greiner_ro52817) June 18, 2025 而事實上，馬斯克也在本月透露，Neuralink 的大腦植入設備目前已經進入臨床實驗階段，希望能更有效的治療癱瘓、憂鬱症、失眠等困擾人類的健康問題。此外，他在受訪時表示，在猴子身上實驗成功後，透過 Neuralink 的新技術，接下來將進行首次「視覺植入手術」，幫助完全失明的人也能成功恢復視力，重拾人生。 🚨BREAKING: Elon Musk confirms that in the next 6-12 months, Neuralink will be doing the first implants for vision, where even if somebody's completely blind, they'll be able to see. They already had that working in monkeys. One of the monkeys has had that implant for 3 yrs. — DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) June 19, 2025 緊貼最新科技資訊、網購優惠，追隨 Yahoo Tech 各大社交平台！ 🎉📱 Tech Facebook： 🎉📱 Tech Instagram： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 社群： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 頻道： 🎉📱 Tech Telegram 頻道：
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Neuralink implants brain chip in sixth patient who says 'I'm already shocked'
Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-chip company, has implanted its brain-computer interface (BCI) in a sixth person. The update came from Rob Grenier, who shared his experience on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week. "Absolutely amazing what I can do already in under a week with Neuralink!" Grenier posted, along with a video showing him playing a computer game and moving a cursor using only his thoughts. Grenier became quadriplegic after a car accident in December 2022. The incident left him paralyzed from the neck down. 'I can't thank the Neuralink team, the doctors, the surgeons and all of my family and friends' support. It may only look like I'm doing a couple games but it's been under a week and I'm already shocked!' he added in the post. Elon Musk's Neuralink raises $650 million in Series E round The announcement comes as Neuralink raised over $650 million in its Series E funding round, bringing its valuation to $9 billion. The Series E round attracted major investors including ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, and several others, valuing the company at approximately $9 billion pre-money according to recent reports. Cathie Wood's ARK Invest is among the company's major backers. The funding represented a significant increase from Neuralink's $280 million Series D round in August 2023. Neuralink has launched clinical trials at leading medical institutions across three countries, including Barrow Neurological Institute, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami, University Health Network in Toronto, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. It is now preparing for a human trial of its Blindsight chip in partnership with the UAE's Cleveland Clinic in 2026. Musk had earlier said, 'With Neuralink interfacing directly to the visual cortex, even those who are completely blind will be able to see again.' Alcatel V3 Ultra Unboxing & Hands-on | Dual Display Mode, Sleek Design & More!
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
'Took a page from Elon Musk's book of parenting': Billionaire CEO sparks outrage with sci-fi parenting plan to ‘stay relevant' in AI age
— vitrupo (@vitrupo) The Neuralink Dream, or Nightmare? Silicon Valley's Wild Take on Parenthood Parenting by Plug-In You Might Also Like: Bill Gates predicts only three jobs will survive the AI takeover. Here is why The First AI-Native Generation? Forget diapers, cribs, or college funds. For Alexandr Wang , billionaire CEO of Scale AI and a rising architect of artificial superintelligence at Meta, the decision to have children hinges on something far more futuristic: brain-computer interfaces . Specifically, he's waiting for Elon Musk 's Neuralink—or similar tech—to become advanced enough to merge babies' brains with AI from you read that right. The 28-year-old AI wunderkind is putting off parenthood until brain implants are ready for a recent episode of The Shawn Ryan Show, Wang explained, 'I want to wait to have kids until we figure out how Neuralink or other brain-computer interfaces start working.' He believes that if children grow up with this tech embedded from the earliest years—when the brain is most malleable—they could evolve into a generation that "uses [AI] in crazy, crazy ways."This revelation, which some have called visionary, others outright dystopian, has ignited a social media firestorm—and prompted many to question how far Silicon Valley is willing to push the human-machine reference point is Musk's Neuralink, which hit a major milestone in early 2024 when a paralyzed patient successfully posted a tweet using only their thoughts. Since then, developments like 'Blindsight'—a device aiming to restore vision via neural stimulation—have pushed the boundaries of what brain-computer integration can logic rests on the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt, especially during early childhood. 'Kids born with these technologies will learn how to use them like second nature,' he predicted, drawing parallels to how today's toddlers swipe iPads before they can even even Wang acknowledged the risks, conceding, 'It is potentially dangerous… but we just are gonna have to do it if humans are to remain relevant.'Wang's statement has drawn fierce backlash online. Reddit users were quick to label his reasoning as detached from human reality. 'Holy s**, installing it in a baby is a huge leap and needs to wait until we have thoroughly vetted it,'* one user posted. Others compared Wang's parenting ambitions to Elon Musk's infamous 'legion of children' plan.'He's clearly taken a page from Elon's book of parenting,' one commenter quipped, referencing Musk's goal to populate the Earth with dozens of genetically gifted offspring—often through unconventional or surrogate isn't the first time Wang has raised eyebrows with his philosophical musings about AI. As one of the youngest self-made billionaires, his bold vision often blurs the lines between technological ambition and science fiction. But with this latest comment, critics fear the ambition has crossed into something more troubling—viewing children not as individuals, but as conduits for digital deeper issue critics raise is the underlying ideology: that human biology is too slow to keep pace with AI, and therefore must be 'upgraded' from birth. It's a mindset that seems to ignore the emotional, ethical, and medical complexities of child-rearing in favor of transhumanist Sabat, a nutritionist who has commented on the role of neurodevelopment in childhood, wasn't directly addressing Wang's ideas—but her concerns over early-life tech integration resonate. 'It's important to focus on developmentally balanced exposure,' she noted in a separate USA TODAY report on nutrition and brain health in perspective, on the other hand, reimagines children as native users of superintelligence—born not just to live in a digital world, but to be fused with Neuralink and its rivals—like Synchron and Motif Neurotech—continue progressing, Wang's AI-native child may not remain hypothetical for long. Synchron is already working with Apple to turn brain signals into smartphone inputs. Motif is testing mood-stabilizing implants for mental health bioethicists and tech-watchers warn that the race toward AI-human integration shouldn't come at the cost of consent, safety, or childhood innocence.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
China launches first-ever invasive brain-computer interface clinical trial — Tetraplegic patient could skillfully operate racing games after just three weeks
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. China's first in-human clinical trials of an invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) have launched, according to state media reports. This makes China second in the BCI race after the U.S., with its Neuralink technology, to enter the clinical trial phase for invasive BCI technology. Ahead of upcoming larger-scale trials, this new BCI from the Shanghai-based Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT) already seems to be a success. The country's Global Times states that a tetraplegic patient has already been using its BCI to control a computer, play racing games, play chess, and more. "Now I can control the computer with my thoughts. It feels like I can move at will," said the unnamed tetraplegic to Global Times. Some background to the patient's condition is provided by the source. Apparently, the patient lost both arms and both legs in a high-voltage electrical accident 13 years ago. The man received an implant on March 25. Recovery was speedy, and just two to three weeks later, he was 'able to control electronic devices with his mind, skillfully operating racing games, chess, and other programs,' says the source. It isn't that long ago, but the report assures that 'no infection or electrode failure reported to date.' Progressing from computer interaction, the scientific team hopes to let its first patient get involved with robotic arm movement control trials. Added dexterity like this could enhance the patient's quality of life. Longer-term plans involve interactions and training with robots, and similar intelligent devices that span the computer–physical realms. The Chinese state media reports aren't without their characteristic boasts. Comparing the new CEBSIT BCI with Neuralink, they say the former has 'a cross-sectional area only 1/5 to 1/7 that of Neuralink's electrodes and flexibility over 100 times greater.' It adds that the neural electrodes used are the smallest and most flexible in the world. Their size and flexibility are better for the patient, so they barely perceive the implant's presence. Moreover, such compact BCIs will minimize damage to surrounding brain tissue and provide better prognosis over the longer term. Overall, the CEBSIT implant is said to be 26mm in diameter and under 6mm thick. With larger-scale clinical trials now greenlit, BCI systems such as this one from CEBSIT are expected to gain regulatory approval and enter the market in China by 2028. If these trials are a fair indicator of BCI benefits, they could 'significantly improve the quality of life for millions of patients with complete spinal cord injuries, bilateral upper limb amputations and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,' notes the Global Times. We were a little surprised by the 'first' claims from CEBSIT today. Previously, we have reported another Chinese BCI project that seemed to be in its advanced stages. In April, we covered the news that a patient in China had been enjoying playing complex PC games such as Black Myth: Wukong and Honor of Kings using the Beinao-1 BCI implant. However, more recent reports suggest the Beinao-2 is being tested in monkeys and will be ready for human trials by the end of 2025, so they've been beaten to the large-scale human trials milestone by CEBSIT. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
