Elon Musk didn’t become a millionaire by sitting on his hands. He cofounded the electronic payment firm PayPal, and in 2002 he founded SpaceX, a company that makes rockets and spacecraft. In 2006, he helped create SolarCity, a solar energy company that was later acquired by Tesla and became Tesla Energy. He was a major early funder of Tesla, which makes electric cars and batteries, and became its chief executive officer in 2008. He purchased the social media service Twitter in 2022. He became its chairman and product architect, assuming the position of CEO in 2008. The FDA has now approved the Neuralink Chip.
Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, has received approval from the FDA to initiate its first-ever human clinical study. This is a truly monumental breakthrough. Neuralink’s pioneering device aims to revolutionize how people interact with technology. It allows them to control computer interfaces using their brains.
The technology has the potential to restore vision and empower individuals with severe disabilities to communicate and move. Thus, this FDA approval of human clinical study marks a significant milestone in merging neuroscience and technology for the betterment of humanity.(Analytics 2023) Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would mark a milestone for the company.
The Plan
It has been developing a device surgically inserted into the brain by a robot and capable of decoding brain activity and linking it to computers. Up until now, the company has conducted research only in animals. “We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” Neuralink announced on Twitter, calling it “an important first step that one day will allow our technology to help many people.” Musk retweeted the post, congratulating his team.
The firm promised more information “soon” on plans to sign up trial participants. Its website promises that “safety, accessibility and reliability” are all priorities during its engineering process. According to CNBC, scientists have been studying BCI technology for decades. Several companies have developed promising systems that they hope to bring to market.
But receiving FDA approval for a commercial medical device is no small task — it requires companies to successfully conduct several extremely thorough rounds of testing and data safety collection. No BCI company has managed to clinch the FDA’s final seal of approval. But by receiving the go-ahead for a study with human patients, Neuralink is one step closer to market.
