Elon Musk has shown off his Neuralink brain implant to the world and kept his promise of demonstrating “neurons firing in real-time.

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In 2016, Musk started the Neuralink Corporation that has since been developing implantable brain chips that could one day allow people to interact with and control computers and smart devices with their minds.

While the project was kept relatively silent up until now, Musk has finally decided to unveil the company’s progress in the previously uncharted technology and show off a prototype of the device.

Not only did the SpaceX CEO present the controversial implant but he also kept the promise he made back in August by showing “neurons firing in real-time” with the help of live subjects.

The demonstration was carried out on the so-called three little pigs of whom one was without the brain chip.

As Gertrude, one of the pigs with an active implant, was walking around the pen and sniffing, the animal’s brain activity was seen on a large screen thanks to the implant.

The same was also achieved by another pig whose brain activity was displayed on the screen as the animal was using its snout in search of food.

“This shows the beats of Link on the screen and you can see each of the spikes from the 1,024 electrodes implanted in the pigs brain,” Musk explained the projections on the screen.

To prove that Neuralink can be removed and has no permanent effects on one’s health, Musk also showed Dorothy the pig whose brain implant has been removed.

“Dorothy which had an implant that was removed, illustrates that Link can be removed and you will live a healthy life,” Musk insisted.

As a part of his live-streamed demo, Musk also presented the improved look of the chip prototype. The implant is about the size of a coin and features a set of wires that connect to the brain. The chip is supposed to replace a part of the skull and is sealed off with superglue once the procedure is done.

“It’s like a Fitbit in your skull. It goes flush on your skull. I could have a Link right now and you wouldn’t know. Maybe I do,” Musk said.

Speaking of the revolutionary technology and the company’s plans for the future, Musk suggested they’re going far beyond the initial purpose of enabling disabled people to control devices with their minds.

“The future is going to be weird. In the future you will be able to save and replay memories,” the Tesla CEO, who foresees a seamless relationship between AI and humans, suggested.

“You could basically store your memories as a backup and restore the memories. You could potentially download them into a new body or into a robot body.”

According to Musk, the technology could be ready for use on humans within just 12 months.

 

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