Elon Musk says he is curing blindness with brain computer chips

Chip is already working in monkeys, Neuralink boss says

Andrew Griffin
Thursday 21 March 2024 14:31 GMT
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Related video: Human implanted with brain chip to control computer mouse through Elon Musk company Neuralink: 'Progress is good'

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Elon Musk says that his Neuralink brain chip company has given blind monkeys their sight.

Neuralink’s next product will be called “Blindsight” and restore vision to those who are unable to see completely, he has said. It will follow “Telepathy”, a product that is being used to allow people to control a computer with only their brain.

The Blindsight system is already working in monkeys, Mr Musk has now claimed. “Resolution will be low at first, like early Nintendo graphics, but ultimately may exceed normal human vision,” he said.

He also stressed that “no monkey has died or been seriously injured by a Neuralink device!” Neuralink has faced criticism from regulators and animal rights groups over its treatment of the monkeys that are a key part of its experimental work.

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