Neuralink demonstrates the progress they are making with their neural interface. A monkey is able to wirelessly and capably play Pong with nothing but his thoughts. While this is still a relatively simple 2D interaction, it's remarkable to me to see this tech mature beyond cumbersome lab environments full of cables and hardware as well as the low learning curve and speed of calibration.

Neuralink's short term goal seems to now be thought controlled computer/smartphone operation, but the sky is the limit for this technology with enough time and development. Right now its utility probably isn't worth brain surgery for healthy people but it could work wonders for the disabled. One day when the tech has matured enough to enable superhuman feats and brand new experiences, healthy people may want implants too.

What about you? How far along would neural interfaces need to get for you to consider one? Would you consider implants if they provided significantly higher fidelity than wearables (being able to feel, rather than just command, for example)?

No interest? This is groundbreaking stuff. Closest I've seen to a tangible commercial (if niche) product with a defined use case. Products like this are how we get to all that cool scifi stuff down the road.

Wake me up when the monkey is playing Dark Souls with his mind.

Grain of salt and all, but Elon claims, "First @Neuralink product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs. Later versions will be able to shunt signals from Neuralinks in brain to Neuralinks in body motor/sensory neuron clusters, thus enabling, for example, paraplegics to walk again. The device is implanted flush with skull & charges wirelessly, so you look & feel totally normal."

First @Neuralink product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2021

EDIT: Link's wigging out for some reason.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380315654524301315?s=20

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380315654524301315?s=20

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380315654524301315?s=20

Since we're in a video game forum, the first thing that comes to my mind is naturally being able to play games with the mind, but obviously I'd also be interested in full scale application control, makes me think we were born just before the exciting stuff that's going to pop up after 2050. Something similar that occurs me is something like 'artificial eyes' for blind people, which would be able to display images in their minds, and who knows, maybe one day even showing them their immediate surroundings.

I'm hoping it doesn't take that long. Their goal is to start human trials by the end of the year, depending on the FDA. Hopefully we'll have a finished medical product in a few years and one suitable for the mass market around the turn of the decade. From there developers can start working on expanding its functionality and bringing on all the fun stuff. I'll be 32 soon. Hopefully by the time I'm in my 50's I can be properly cyborg and if I'm very lucky the tech will develop fast enough and open enough new possibilities to extend and improve our lives dramatically.

I also hope it doesn't take that long.

There's a lot to learn about the brain before we can think about gaming with our minds, but Neuralink is a huge step forward. I can only hope everything goes well with the project.

Yeah, that would be cool. It's impressive that this could have a released product so soon, do you know about possible starting costs for it? 

They developed a surgical robot to install the implant in the hopes of scaling the procedure without the high costs of surgeons and lengthy operations. The end goal is for it to be as quick and cheap as a Lasik appointment. A few grand, no need for an overnight hospital stay. Let's hope that works out.

What’s really impressive is that this monkey, not even a primate, actually understands what’s happening and what he needs to do.