Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss.The Critical.
Crossroads that shape. SpaceX.
Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neurolink.
I'm your host, Will Walden. I got a question for you.
Can brain implants become mainstream in medical treatment?
(00:24):
Within the next decade? Neurolink announced plans to
initiate clinical trials of its brain implant ships in Great
Britain, targeting a start date in 2025.
Elon Musk founded this company, and it's already received
approval to begin similar human trials in the United States,
(00:46):
marking Great Britain as Neurolink's first international
testing site. Now, Neurolink's implants aim to
enable direct brain to computer interactions, and they've
already proven this. They've been designed initially
to help individuals with severe neurological disabilities.
Patients who have lost motor functions from conditions like
(01:06):
paralysis, ALS, or spinal cord injuries could potentially use
these chips to communicate and operate external devices like
phones, computers, laptops. They've already played games
with them. They're drastically increasing
the autonomy of these people. Now, just to be clear here, the
(01:29):
procedure involves placing microchips into your brain using
specialized surgical robots, notpeople, allowing implanted
electrodes to read neurological signals and relay those signals
wirelessly to external technology.
So think of Bluetooth similar tothat.
(01:54):
Now there's always regulations. British regulators granted the
company permission after assessing extensive preclinical
data from neuralinks laboratory testing.
British healthcare authorities evaluated safety data from
animal testing, including results from recent monkey
trials in the United States. Approval came after EU KS
(02:15):
Medicines and healthcare products Regulatory agency MHRA
concluded that Neurolink's submission satisfied all safety
requirements necessary to proceed with human participants.
Now, Neurolink intends to begin the UK trials by implanting
chips into a very limited group of patients with profound
(02:35):
disabilities, specifically targeting those who have lost
motor control due to severe injury or progressive
neurological diseases. Participants will undergo
neurosurgery to implant small devices.
Approximately. The size of a coin directly
embedded into brain tissue, enabling them to send signals to
external electronic devices likecomputers, smartphones, or
(03:00):
certain kind of specialized medical equipment for that
specific patient. And Nerlink expects that these
early trials will generate vitalinsights into how effectively
the chips can facilitate communication in daily functions
for patients with severe physical impairments.
Now, the decision to conduct trials in Great Britain follows
(03:21):
extensive discussions between Neuralink representatives and UK
healthcare regulators. The UK possesses A comprehensive
framework governing biomedical innovation, offering clear
regulatory guidelines and promptreview processes.
Great Britain's healthcare system frequently hosts
pioneering clinical studies due to its structured approach to
evaluating and moderating experimental technologies.
(03:45):
Now in the United States, Neurolink has already commenced
its initial human clinical trials earned studies following
approvals from the FDA. The American trials involve
similar patients with neurological impairments.
The chips implanted into human subjects aim to test practical
functionality, safety and the durability of neural interfaces.
(04:08):
And British tests will complement the data obtained by
US trials, providing comparativeinsights to fine tune the tech
and enhances performance and reliability.
Now Neural Link's brain chips hold potential beyond assisting
disabled individuals. Musk has previously stated that
long term goals involve enhancing human cognitive
(04:29):
abilities and creating brain interfaces accessible to help
the individuals interested in augmentation.
So think of piercing your ears maybe, but instead Pierce your
skull and implanting this in your brain.
It's one of those things if you want to augment your your wealth
of knowledge, that'd be kind of interesting, wouldn't it?
(04:52):
If you have comments on your podcast platform post, if you
would do that, would you get Neuralink just to be a little
bit smarter or maybe absolutely smarter Interesting that's
ethical consideration, right? So there's broader applications
(05:13):
remain contentious here with Neuralink, privacy, data
security, possible misuse. Despite these concerns, though,
Neurolink maintains the strict protocols, regulatory oversight
and ethical standards will guideany developments involving
broader human enhancements. And beyond human trials,
(05:36):
Neurolink faces ongoing scrutinyregarding animal testing,
especially after previous allegations of animal welfare
violations surfaced. The company addressed those
concerns by highlighting adherence to establish
guidelines, regular oversight byveterinary professionals, and
implementing advanced care standards.
(05:57):
Regulatory bodies and independent monitors closely
oversee animal testing practicesat Neuralink, ensuring
compliance with humane treatmentguidelines.
Neurolink operates within a highly competitive domain domain
right now. Several other companies globally
also develop neurotechnological devices aimed at similar patient
(06:19):
populations, including industry veterans like Synchron and
BlackRock Neurotech. Synchron, for example, recently
received approval from US regulators to test brain
computer interfaces, offering a less invasive method than
Neurolink, utilizing blood vessels rather than direct
surgical insertion. Such competition pushes
(06:42):
Neurolink to continually refine its methods and technology to
maintain a technological and clinical advantage.
Neurolink anticipates significant logistical hurdles
and technical challenges throughout the upcoming clinical
testing phase. Potential risks include
infection and implantation sites, rejection by patient
(07:02):
immune systems, or ineffective long term functioning of
implanted electrodes. Continuous refinement,
collaboration with clinical experts and careful data
analysis will shape Neurolink strategies to address these
complications during the clinical development process.
Now, as Neurolink moves towards human trials in Great Britain
(07:24):
and expands globally, the advancement signals a critical
phase for wider adoption of neurotechnology in medical
treatment. And hopefully these British
trials are a plus. We want Neurolink to succeed.
We want people to have better lives now.
Once they enter the international clinical studies
(07:46):
realm, they're going to confirm that the steady, the steady
advancement towards broader medical acceptance of neural
implants is going to be a real thing in the future for every
single person. Hey, thank you so much for
listening today. I really do appreciate your.
Support. If you could take a second and
hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly
(08:09):
appreciate it. It helps out the show
tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
support the show even more, go to Atreoncom Stage Zero.
And please take care of yourselves and each other.
And I'll see you tomorrow.
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss.The Critical.
Crossroads that shape. SpaceX.
Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neurolink.
I'm your host, Will Walden. I got a question for you.
Can brain implants become mainstream in medical treatment?
(00:24):
Within the next decade? Neurolink announced plans to
initiate clinical trials of its brain implant ships in Great
Britain, targeting a start date in 2025.
Elon Musk founded this company, and it's already received
approval to begin similar human trials in the United States,
(00:46):
marking Great Britain as Neurolink's first international
testing site. Now, Neurolink's implants aim to
enable direct brain to computer interactions, and they've
already proven this. They've been designed initially
to help individuals with severe neurological disabilities.
Patients who have lost motor functions from conditions like
(01:06):
paralysis, ALS, or spinal cord injuries could potentially use
these chips to communicate and operate external devices like
phones, computers, laptops. They've already played games
with them. They're drastically increasing
the autonomy of these people. Now, just to be clear here, the
(01:29):
procedure involves placing microchips into your brain using
specialized surgical robots, notpeople, allowing implanted
electrodes to read neurological signals and relay those signals
wirelessly to external technology.
So think of Bluetooth similar tothat.
(01:54):
Now there's always regulations. British regulators granted the
company permission after assessing extensive preclinical
data from neuralinks laboratory testing.
British healthcare authorities evaluated safety data from
animal testing, including results from recent monkey
trials in the United States. Approval came after EU KS
(02:15):
Medicines and healthcare products Regulatory agency MHRA
concluded that Neurolink's submission satisfied all safety
requirements necessary to proceed with human participants.
Now, Neurolink intends to begin the UK trials by implanting
chips into a very limited group of patients with profound
(02:35):
disabilities, specifically targeting those who have lost
motor control due to severe injury or progressive
neurological diseases. Participants will undergo
neurosurgery to implant small devices.
Approximately. The size of a coin directly
embedded into brain tissue, enabling them to send signals to
external electronic devices likecomputers, smartphones, or
(03:00):
certain kind of specialized medical equipment for that
specific patient. And Nerlink expects that these
early trials will generate vitalinsights into how effectively
the chips can facilitate communication in daily functions
for patients with severe physical impairments.
Now, the decision to conduct trials in Great Britain follows
(03:21):
extensive discussions between Neuralink representatives and UK
healthcare regulators. The UK possesses A comprehensive
framework governing biomedical innovation, offering clear
regulatory guidelines and promptreview processes.
Great Britain's healthcare system frequently hosts
pioneering clinical studies due to its structured approach to
evaluating and moderating experimental technologies.
(03:45):
Now in the United States, Neurolink has already commenced
its initial human clinical trials earned studies following
approvals from the FDA. The American trials involve
similar patients with neurological impairments.
The chips implanted into human subjects aim to test practical
functionality, safety and the durability of neural interfaces.
(04:08):
And British tests will complement the data obtained by
US trials, providing comparativeinsights to fine tune the tech
and enhances performance and reliability.
Now Neural Link's brain chips hold potential beyond assisting
disabled individuals. Musk has previously stated that
long term goals involve enhancing human cognitive
(04:29):
abilities and creating brain interfaces accessible to help
the individuals interested in augmentation.
So think of piercing your ears maybe, but instead Pierce your
skull and implanting this in your brain.
It's one of those things if you want to augment your your wealth
of knowledge, that'd be kind of interesting, wouldn't it?
(04:52):
If you have comments on your podcast platform post, if you
would do that, would you get Neuralink just to be a little
bit smarter or maybe absolutely smarter Interesting that's
ethical consideration, right? So there's broader applications
(05:13):
remain contentious here with Neuralink, privacy, data
security, possible misuse. Despite these concerns, though,
Neurolink maintains the strict protocols, regulatory oversight
and ethical standards will guideany developments involving
broader human enhancements. And beyond human trials,
(05:36):
Neurolink faces ongoing scrutinyregarding animal testing,
especially after previous allegations of animal welfare
violations surfaced. The company addressed those
concerns by highlighting adherence to establish
guidelines, regular oversight byveterinary professionals, and
implementing advanced care standards.
(05:57):
Regulatory bodies and independent monitors closely
oversee animal testing practicesat Neuralink, ensuring
compliance with humane treatmentguidelines.
Neurolink operates within a highly competitive domain domain
right now. Several other companies globally
also develop neurotechnological devices aimed at similar patient
(06:19):
populations, including industry veterans like Synchron and
BlackRock Neurotech. Synchron, for example, recently
received approval from US regulators to test brain
computer interfaces, offering a less invasive method than
Neurolink, utilizing blood vessels rather than direct
surgical insertion. Such competition pushes
(06:42):
Neurolink to continually refine its methods and technology to
maintain a technological and clinical advantage.
Neurolink anticipates significant logistical hurdles
and technical challenges throughout the upcoming clinical
testing phase. Potential risks include
infection and implantation sites, rejection by patient
(07:02):
immune systems, or ineffective long term functioning of
implanted electrodes. Continuous refinement,
collaboration with clinical experts and careful data
analysis will shape Neurolink strategies to address these
complications during the clinical development process.
Now, as Neurolink moves towards human trials in Great Britain
(07:24):
and expands globally, the advancement signals a critical
phase for wider adoption of neurotechnology in medical
treatment. And hopefully these British
trials are a plus. We want Neurolink to succeed.
We want people to have better lives now.
Once they enter the international clinical studies
(07:46):
realm, they're going to confirm that the steady, the steady
advancement towards broader medical acceptance of neural
implants is going to be a real thing in the future for every
single person. Hey, thank you so much for
listening today. I really do appreciate your.
Support. If you could take a second and
hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly
(08:09):
appreciate it. It helps out the show
tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
support the show even more, go to Atreoncom Stage Zero.
And please take care of yourselves and each other.
And I'll see you tomorrow.
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