Elon Musk showed off his Neuralink progress recently, with the help of Gertrude the unruly pig and her jolly snoot music.
The Neuralink is a device, implanted in your skull, that interfaces with your brain cells. At present, it can only detect brain activity, but the intention is for it to have read/write functionality, allowing the Neuralink to be used as affordable treatment for brain-related damage, including paralysis, strokes, blindness, and hearing loss, and even less tangible issues like depression, anxiety, and addiction. Or even preventing illness by monitoring your health. But also, because this is Musk, telepathy, heading off the ever-increasing threat of AI by creating a global consciousness, and backing up your memories to a robot body (Altered Carbon-style).
Musk helpfully described the device in terms that would make anyone feel way more at ease with the idea.
…in a lot of ways it’s like a Fitbit, in your skull, with tiny wires.
Oh, that’s fine then.
Gertrude the uncooperative, but apparently happy, pig then showed off how the Neuralink registers physical stimulus by causing a computer program to beep whenever her snout touched anything.
You can check out the full demonstration below (actual presentation starts at 48:48):
Gertrude is the hero 2020 deserves.
Via CNET.