Elon Musk says his brain-computer chip neuralink will be able to cure addiction, depression

Sputnik news agency and radio 23:23 GMT 11.07.2020

Musk's Neuralink start-up, founded in 2016, aims at connecting the human brain to a computer by implanting micro-sensors in it, which can be used by a neurosurgeon to monitor neural activity and treat certain mental issues.

Elon Musk has revealed new details about his neural network side project Neauralink, replying to a comment on his Twitter.

A user asked the Tesla CEO if his brain-computer chip could be used to treat the parts of the brain implicated in addiction or depression. Musk replied, "sure", and explained how it would be possible, though his explanation was a bit vague.

Musk's Neuralink is designed to build a kind of "symbiosis" between man and machine, using tiny electrode "threads" thinner than a human hair. It requires a module placed outside the head (like a microphone) that is connected wirelessly to the threads inside the brain.

It was previously announced that the technology could be used to treat mental diseases. Last summer, Neuralink's president Mr Max Hodak said that neural network devices would help in the medical industry, allowing treatments for Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cochlear implants.

Neuralink was supposed to start the first experiments of its technology on humans in 2020.