South African billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, just can’t get enough. He has come up with a new venture to merge computers with human brains to help people keep up with machines, so says Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
According to the Wall Street Journal, the startup is still very much in its early stages. The company, registered as a “medical research” firm, is seeking to pursue what Musk calls “neural lace” technologies, which presumably involve the implanting of tiny electrodes in the brain to create a connection with a computer. The resulting “direct cortical interface” could be used to upload or download thoughts to a computer, blurring the boundary between human and machine. Eventually, brain chips could be used to supplement and boost cognitive capacities, resulting in increased intelligence and memory.
WSJ also says that Musk is funding the startup and taking an active leadership role within the company. Several leading academics in the field have reportedly signed up to work at the firm, and Musk has apparently reached out to Founders Fund, an investment firm started by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
The Neuralink website currently consists of a logo on a single page, with an email address for those looking for jobs. Apparently the site was once associated with a different venture that had the same name .
Musk confirmed the news about the startup via a tweet, adding that more details would be coming put on WaitBuyWhy, in about a week.
Long Neuralink piece coming out on @waitbutwhy in about a week. Difficult to dedicate the time, but existential risk is too high not to.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2017
