©Mark Ollig
It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel; a company is developing ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces (BMI) to connect humans and electronic devices.
Technology has advanced to the point where we are entering into the realm of BMI.
Neurotransmitters in a human brain, using thin, superconducting nanowires connected to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip, may become the pathway for us to use our mind to communicate with autonomous devices and machines.
We already have access to virtual reality (VR) programs using software power to place us into virtual worlds. Many say VR is incredibly realistic.
Is merging with AI the dawn of a cognitive revolution for the human race?
For me, I’m skeptical about an AI chip knowing what’s going on inside my head.
You may be wondering who the person is we have to thank for this latest AI-human technological revelation.
Enter Elon Musk, the 48-year-old founder of SpaceX, the co-founder of those Tesla electric cars.
Recently, I saw a lot of Teslas plugged into the charging station behind the Starbucks in Robbinsdale.
But, I digress.
Musk gave a presentation July 16 about the technology his company, called Neuralink, has been working on.
Neuralink began in July 2016, in San Francisco. It has been very active during the last two years, experimenting with various rodents (substituting for humans) to prove their machine-mind technology interface is viable.
Musk hopes this technology will soon be tested on humans.
Imagine a group of scientists located around the world with the AI chip wired into their brains having a Spock-like “mind-meld.”
They would instantaneously share their thoughts and ideas. Some fantastic discoveries could result; on the other hand, virtual confrontations might ensue among them.
During Musk’s presentation, he seemed to suggest humans need to be on guard for the threats AI might present to us in the future.
By merging ourselves with AI, is he recommending it might be better to join AI than to fight it?
We won’t have to worry about “some evil dictator AI,” because we and AI will be working collectively, Musk indicated.
“I think if we can effectively merge with AI by improving the neural link between the cortex and your digital extension of yourself; (which already exists but just has a bandwidth issue), you then effectively become an AI-human symbiote,” Musk said.
I am reminded of the memorable quote from the science fiction television and movie series of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” when the cybernetic beings say to humans who are not a part of their collective, “We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.”
Of course, AI is “artificial” intelligence; it’s nowhere near the type of intellect which resides in you and me – or the Borg.
What happens if AI obtains self-awareness, consciousness, independent thought, and begins to ask humans questions about its existence and purpose? OK, maybe now I am rambling too far into science fiction here. I’ll need to address this in 100 or 200 years.
For now, I imagine many people would not submit to having their brain wired into an AI component, and thus become part of the Internet of Things (IoT).
On a more serious note, the electric signals released by specific computing chips in the human brain have improved the lives of those living with medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, spinal cord pain, and others.
Musk said Neuralink is ready to implant paralyzed patients with electrodes that will allow them to work with computers using their minds.
The promise of Neuralink technology for improving people’s lives is, of course, paramount.
Humans merging with AI might end up becoming a type of symbiosis.
Who knows the future? Eventually, we might be driving an Elon Musk Tesla automobile down the highway using our thoughts, which is one way to sell more Teslas.
The website for Neuralink is https://neuralink.com.
There are currently 98,500 people (and bots) following Neuralink on their Twitter account @neuralink.
Watch Elon Musk’s 1.5-hour presentation at https://bit.ly/2ObnwfJ.
It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel; a company is developing ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces (BMI) to connect humans and electronic devices.
Technology has advanced to the point where we are entering into the realm of BMI.
Neurotransmitters in a human brain, using thin, superconducting nanowires connected to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip, may become the pathway for us to use our mind to communicate with autonomous devices and machines.
We already have access to virtual reality (VR) programs using software power to place us into virtual worlds. Many say VR is incredibly realistic.
Is merging with AI the dawn of a cognitive revolution for the human race?
For me, I’m skeptical about an AI chip knowing what’s going on inside my head.
You may be wondering who the person is we have to thank for this latest AI-human technological revelation.
Enter Elon Musk, the 48-year-old founder of SpaceX, the co-founder of those Tesla electric cars.
Recently, I saw a lot of Teslas plugged into the charging station behind the Starbucks in Robbinsdale.
But, I digress.
Musk gave a presentation July 16 about the technology his company, called Neuralink, has been working on.
Neuralink began in July 2016, in San Francisco. It has been very active during the last two years, experimenting with various rodents (substituting for humans) to prove their machine-mind technology interface is viable.
Musk hopes this technology will soon be tested on humans.
Imagine a group of scientists located around the world with the AI chip wired into their brains having a Spock-like “mind-meld.”
They would instantaneously share their thoughts and ideas. Some fantastic discoveries could result; on the other hand, virtual confrontations might ensue among them.
During Musk’s presentation, he seemed to suggest humans need to be on guard for the threats AI might present to us in the future.
By merging ourselves with AI, is he recommending it might be better to join AI than to fight it?
We won’t have to worry about “some evil dictator AI,” because we and AI will be working collectively, Musk indicated.
“I think if we can effectively merge with AI by improving the neural link between the cortex and your digital extension of yourself; (which already exists but just has a bandwidth issue), you then effectively become an AI-human symbiote,” Musk said.
I am reminded of the memorable quote from the science fiction television and movie series of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” when the cybernetic beings say to humans who are not a part of their collective, “We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.”
Of course, AI is “artificial” intelligence; it’s nowhere near the type of intellect which resides in you and me – or the Borg.
What happens if AI obtains self-awareness, consciousness, independent thought, and begins to ask humans questions about its existence and purpose? OK, maybe now I am rambling too far into science fiction here. I’ll need to address this in 100 or 200 years.
For now, I imagine many people would not submit to having their brain wired into an AI component, and thus become part of the Internet of Things (IoT).
On a more serious note, the electric signals released by specific computing chips in the human brain have improved the lives of those living with medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, spinal cord pain, and others.
Musk said Neuralink is ready to implant paralyzed patients with electrodes that will allow them to work with computers using their minds.
The promise of Neuralink technology for improving people’s lives is, of course, paramount.
Humans merging with AI might end up becoming a type of symbiosis.
Who knows the future? Eventually, we might be driving an Elon Musk Tesla automobile down the highway using our thoughts, which is one way to sell more Teslas.
The website for Neuralink is https://neuralink.com.
There are currently 98,500 people (and bots) following Neuralink on their Twitter account @neuralink.
Watch Elon Musk’s 1.5-hour presentation at https://bit.ly/2ObnwfJ.
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| Brain access hole. (Screengrab from Neuralink presentation) |
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| Diagram of nanowires from AI chip to the brain (Screengrab from Neuralink presentation) |
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| Photo of nanowires attached to a rodent's brain (Screengrab from Neuralink presentation) |