Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, has set his sights on making brain implants as affordable as an Apple Watch. Speaking at the 2024 Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Musk shared his ambitious vision for Neuralink, his brain implant company. He believes that these devices, which could revolutionize how we interact with technology and even treat neurological disorders, shouldn’t be restricted to a select few due to cost.
Musk’s proposal involves making brain implants widely accessible at a price point comparable to a smartwatch or smartphone, potentially falling between $1,000 and $2,000. He believes that this price point can be achieved by increasing production volume and streamlining the implantation process. He envisions a future where a ‘600-second surgery’ – a rapid, ten-minute procedure – would be performed with the assistance of robots, making the entire process more efficient and accessible.
This news comes at a pivotal time for the brain-computer interface (BCI) market. Neuralink is not alone in pursuing this ambitious technology. Rival company Paradromics is also preparing for human trials of its own brain implant, but with a significantly higher price tag of around $100,000. Another competitor, Synchron Inc., backed by tech giants Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, is also working to extend its brain-device technology for treating conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.
If Musk’s vision of affordable brain implants becomes a reality, it could have a profound impact on the BCI market, potentially making this revolutionary technology accessible to a much wider population. It would open doors for a future where individuals could control devices with their thoughts, potentially improving their quality of life in numerous ways. The potential for both medical breakthroughs and societal transformation is enormous, making Musk’s vision for Neuralink a captivating and potentially game-changing development in the world of technology.
