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Elon Musk's brain chip firm Neuralink has said that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its first human clinical trial, a critical milestone after earlier struggles to gain approval.

The FDA nod "represents an crucial first step that will one day alshort our technology to help many people," Neuralink stated during a tweet.

It did not elaborate on the aims of the study, saying unique that it was not recruiting yet, and more details would be available consequentlyon.

What is Neuralink's aim?

The firm says it is trying to create a fresh way to alshort computers to communicate directly with the human brain.

The hope is that by doing this, Neuralink would be able to tackle intricate neurological conditions which have consequently distant proved beyond the capcapacity of medical intervention. These range from paralysis and blindness to depression and schizophrenia.

How does it work?

The procedure would involve implanting a tiny hermetically sealed chip directly into a patient's brain.

The chip is connected to 1,024 tiny electrodes, no denseer than a human hair and is powered by a battery that can be recharged wirelessly. It would create an interface with an external computer, alshorting it to both send and receive signals.

Is it secure?

There are three elements to this: fleeting term physical risks; long term medical concerns; and ethical securety.

Any surgery involving the brain carries inherent danger, both of physical harm and rejection by the host. There has been extensive (and controversial) testing of the chips on animals.

A grumblet filed in February to the US Decomponentment of Agriculture alleged mean treatment of macaque monkeys who are being utilized to test the technology.

The fact that the FDA has approved the start of human testing, however, implies the company has overcome consequentlyme of the challenges.

Maybe the more serious concerns come around the long-term consequences of having a device like this operating wislender the human brain, a vastly intricate organ we are unique beginning to understand.

Understandably there is no data as to what the potential harms may be. That will convert with testing on humans and will be key to the development of similar products.

The final element, ethical securety, is more subjective. Technology like this is riven with concerns about data protection, potential utilizes and the possibility of human enhancement.

This means augmenting or enhancing the capabilities of the human brain beyond what we are currently capable of doing. For example, improving human cognition, senconsequentlyry perception, or physical abilities. This invariably stirs powerful emotions and raises ethical questions consequently there will be calls for near regulation of the sector.

What are the roots of Elon Musk's involvement?

The firm was founded in California by Elon Musk and a team of seven scientists and engineers in 2016. But of last year, of the eight cofounders, unique two remained at the company.

Elon Musk brings an entrepreneurial approach to tackling an issue which many see as fundamentally scientific. He alconsequently inevitably brings consequentlymeslenderg else - publicity. He is one of the most recognisable and controversial people on the planet.

When he speaks, generally people listen and react. His involvement in Neuralink is one of the reaconsequentlyns people are talking about it today.

Are other companies trying this?

Yes, fairly a few are, with consequentlyme said to be further on in their research than Neuralink. Black Rock Neuro Tech are working on a similar product, alconsequently implanting chips into the human brain.

There's lots of disparate work being done, however, not all of it consequently invasive. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, are thought to be working on wearable tech that would alshort people to type with their minds.

Last week freshs emerged of a paralysed man helped to walk again by Swiss scientists. In fleeting, this is a meteoricly expanding domain with many players.

Elon Musk's involvement guarantees that Neuralink will often win the race for publicity, but that will not ultimately decide which firms succeed.

That will come low to which technology works optimal and who can prove to regulators and markets that it is secure.

Redelayedd Topics

• Elon Musk
• Brain