2024-07-30 18:40:43
An American scientific study published on Monday challenges recent claims by Elon Musk that a brain implant from his startup Neuralink could restore vision to blind individuals and even grant them superhuman sight.
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The billionaire claimed in March on his social network X that Neuralink’s next project, dubbed “Blindsight,” could restore vision to people who are blind, even those blind from birth, asserting that this brain implant was already functioning in monkeys.
“The resolution will be low at first, like the early graphics of Nintendo, but could ultimately exceed normal human vision,” added the head of Tesla and SpaceX.
But Musk’s project is based on the “erroneous” principle that implanting millions of tiny electrodes in the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information would result in high-resolution vision, stated Ione Fine, a psychology professor at the University of Washington and co-author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers created a computer model, a sort of virtual patient, using data from both animals and humans to study what the experience would be like with a brain implant similar to “Blindsight.”
“Engineers often think that electrodes produce pixels, but that’s not how biology works,” explained Ione Fine.
Achieving good vision involves not only stimulating individual cells, as implants do, but also creating a neural code that spreads to thousands of cells.
For Ione Fine, scientists are still far from knowing how to create the necessary neural code to restore sight to a blind person, meaning that the results obtained by Mr. Musk’s implant would be limited.
“Many people go blind later in life” and “one can despair of regaining sight,” the professor continued. “So when Elon Musk says things like ‘this will exceed human vision,’ it’s dangerous.”
Neuralink, headquartered in Fremont, California, placed its first brain implant in a patient, Noland Arbaugh, 29, who has been quadriplegic since a diving accident, in January.
Challenging Neuralink’s Vision Technology: Insights from Recent Research
A recent American scientific study has cast doubt on Elon Musk’s bold claims regarding Neuralink’s brain implant technology, which he suggested could restore vision—and potentially even provide superhuman sight—to the blind. This scrutiny comes after Musk’s assertion in March that the upcoming “Blindsight” project could revive the vision of individuals who have never experienced sight, citing preliminary success with animal studies.
According to the research led by Ione Fine, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, the premise behind Neuralink’s approach is fundamentally flawed. The study highlighted that the reliance on millions of tiny electrodes implanted in the visual processing parts of the brain will not lead to high-resolution vision as promised. Fine noted, “Engineers often assume electrodes produce pixels, which is not aligned with biological processes.”
The pioneering research involved simulating a virtual “patient” to explore the potential experiences of users with the proposed implant. Findings indicate that simply stimulating individual cells does not result in effective vision restoration; rather, a complex neural code is needed to disseminate signals across thousands of cells to generate coherent visual perception.
Fine’s comments emphasize the lengthy journey ahead for scientists striving to construct the necessary neural coding essential for such groundbreaking visual restoration. “When Elon Musk makes claims about surpassing normal human vision, it becomes dangerous,” she warned, particularly for those who may lose hope in regaining their sight.
Neuralink, based in Fremont, California, made headlines earlier this year by implanting its first brain chip in a 29-year-old tetraplegic patient named Noland Arbaugh. While such advancements spark interest, the hesitation voiced by researchers reveals the importance of setting realistic expectations in the field of neurotechnology.