Apparently Elon Musk was not busy enough with SpaceX and Tesla and has decided to launch another company called Neuralink. The main idea is that you would implant tiny brain electrodes that may one day upload and download thoughts. An article in the business section of the Wall Street Journal this morning goes further into detail:
“If you assume any rate of advancement in [artificial intelligence], we will be left behind by a lot,” he said at a conference last June.The solution he proposed was a “direct cortical interface”— essentially a layer of artificial intelligence inside the brain—that could enable humans to reach higher levels of function.
Mr. Musk has teased that he is developing the technology himself. “Making progress [on neural lace],” he tweeted last August, “maybe something to announce in a few months.” In January he tweeted that an announcement might be coming shortly
This concept seems a little far out to me, but with the way things have been progressing with SpaceX and Tesla maybe it is another great business idea by Musk. What do you guys think about this new company? Does it seem realistic?
I don't believe this venture is as fruitful or reachable as the others. For Space X, Musk was able to take the space industry into a new direction by cutting costs and improving on what already existed. Similarly for the electric vehicle, Musk knew that the reason why it didn't catch on is because it was targeting environmentalist, when cars are meant for enthusiast. (finding a niche in the market)
For what you are describing, it doesn't sound like there is much of a past to build on. Much like Hyperloop, Musk is willing to bring forth ideas to move forward, but not put any sizable investments unless it starts to become a reality. I don't think he will put too much emphasis on it, IMO.
For what it's worth, Musk has discussed financing Neuralink primarily himself, including with capital borrowed against equity in his other companies. I found that pretty surprising (if true) as I also would have thought he would have presented the idea in the same manner as Hyperloop.
Is there a lack of past to this concept, or is it simply just an area which the public itself hasn't explored much yet? I think on the positive side of the house, currently there is essentially no competition to this company. What I am waiting to see is how far away from producing a real product this company is. It will be interesting to see what kind of timeline Musk lays out as he usually presents on the aggressive end.
This is where Musk crosses the line from world-saver to eccentric. Just like Hughes. Or Yuri Milner. There isn't a necessity for this technology, and the theory is yet to be established (forget contradictions or proofs). Unless he's looking at an extremely long timeline, I doubt this would be viable.
Still, I've always dreamt of being a cyborg at some point of time or the other.
That way we can officially have shitter?
Almost as if the dude just played Call of Duty Black Ops 3..... or saw Ghost in the Shell. Come on, Elon.
Sounds like the premise of a Black Mirror episode
I have to say, attaboy Musk. Who else is doing stuff like this? Good for him to at least explore the concept.
Musk is operating on a much larger time scale with this company than his other companies. He's essentially aiming to have a fully functioning product by the time we have AGI which I would say is ~60-80 years away.
There is no current need for the product but his motivating force for creating this company is his fear of the decline of the human species once we ultimately create AI. From an evolutionary standpoint, the dumbest thing a species can do is create a superior species and if Silicon Valley is left unchecked, then we will render ourselves extinct within a couple generations.
Musk's view is that if we are hellbent on creating AI, then the most optimal hedge for humanity is to start working on technology that will allow us to transcend the limits of our biological bodies and start to limit the evolutionary advantage that AI has over us. I, for one, applaud his efforts. If he doesn't work on this, who will?
Great response, +1 SB. I hope I'll never be around for when a superior species that we created proceeds to do what any superior species does to an inferior one; outcompetes and renders extinct
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