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Brain Chips: Telepathic Monkeys, Mind-Reading Machines, & More

Updated: Dec 16, 2023


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In April of 2021, a peculiar video was released that instantly caught the world’s attention. The beginning of the video shows a monkey playing a game on a computer screen by using a joystick. Each time the monkey does something correct, a metallic tube gives the monkey a portion of banana smoothie. Guided by this reward system, the monkey quickly adjusts to the requirements of the game. Half-way through the video, the original game on the screen is replaced by pong. The joystick the monkey was using to play the first game is also removed. Most unexpectedly, the monkey appears to have no difficulty controlling the paddles on each side of the screen. In fact, like the first game, the monkey adapts to pong’s demands; it learns to time and angle the paddles right such that they are in-sync with one another. While this apparent telepathic ability of the monkey might first seem to be some kind of trick (perhaps the screen is prerecorded, or someone else is controlling the game), it isn’t. The monkey is really controlling pong with its mind. 

How was the monkey able to accomplish this feat? Well, this video was posted by American neurotechnology company Neuralink, and the answer to this question lies in what this company is developing: brain chips. Founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and several other experts in this field, Neuralink’s objective is to deliver a wireless, implantable brain chip that could serve as an interface between a human’s brain and some other kind of technology – like a computer, tablet, or smartphone. A prototype of the company’s brain chip was what allowed Pager, the Rhesus macaque from the video, to control the game. First, the device had to be surgically implanted into Pager’s head, just above the brain but below the skull. Then, the chip was trained. Neuralink did this by letting Pager play a game with a joystick. While Pager was playing, the implanted device was closely monitoring electrical signals firing about the monkey’s brain. At the same time, the movements of the joystick were being recorded. By cross-referencing data collected by the brain implant and movements in the game, a computer was able to deduce what signals in the brain corresponded to what desired movements. When the joystick was disconnected, the monkey could still play the game because the game was responding to data received by the chip. If the monkey thought of some movement with its hand, the game would respond accordingly, as if the joystick were still there. 

This represented a huge accomplishment for Neuralink. Its immediate goal, to enable individuals to interface telepathically with technology, was given proof of concept. For individuals who have lost certain motor functions, the deliverance of such a technology could be very useful. For instance, if someone were paralyzed from the neck down, they would, with a brain chip, be able to use any desired technology with a brain chip. Instead of using their hands, they would just use their mind. Further down the road, Neuralink hopes to actually use its brain chips to repair lost motor functions in people. The idea is that just as a brain chip can serve as a bridge between the brain and other technology, so too could it allow the brain to communicate with disconnected parts of the body. It has been speculated that neurotechnology could be used to treat and cure certain neurological conditions, like depression or schizophrenia. Similarly, brain chips could be used to actually improve brain function or prevent the deterioration of brain function in elders. Perhaps, in the future, someone could purchase a brain chip that might give them an expanded memory, quicker response times, or even better mathematical skills. 

Neuralink isn’t the only entity to see monumental progress being made in neurotechnology. Researchers from Stanford University were able to decode speech with brain implants. Pat Bennett is a 68 year-old who, after being diagnosed with ALS – a neurodegenerative disease that causes individuals to lose motor control – lost her ability to speak. Researchers wanted to know whether they could return to her some degree of speech functionality. To do this, Stanford neurosurgeons first placed two sensors inside of her head. A team of researchers then trained these sensors to recognize electrical patterns in Bennett’s brain as parts of words. The training phase was very tedious: Bennett participated in over 100 hours of sessions during which she attempted to repeat words and phrases. Even though she couldn’t actually speak, the parts of her brain that control speech were still lighting up. The more data the sensors in her brain were able to gather, the better they got at recognizing when she wanted to say certain words or phrases. After this long process, the researchers optimized the system to be able to decode speech at 62 words per minute and then to display Bennett’s sentences on a screen. Although not quite yet at conversational speed and accuracy, the technology shows great promise for individuals who have lost the ability to talk. 

The interface that enabled Pat Bennett to ‘speak’ has been tried on a few others now. In one case, it helped a paralyzed person write again. And Neuralink is now set to begin human trials after receiving approval from the FDA. However, there are many concerns surrounding neurotechnology. Specifically with Neuralink, there have been countless reports of animal cruelty in testing its brain chips. In addition to multiple employee whistleblowers reporting that Musk’s drive to keep research going rapidly has led to egregious errors with the test animals, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit dedicated to promoting ethical animal testing, has claimed that Neuralink is in serious violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Hastily-implanted chips have caused the company’s test monkeys to develop serious infections and in many cases engage in self-mutilation. One monkey even experienced severe nausea and vomiting, likely the result of surgeons using an unapproved adhesive while implanting the brain chip. In all, the company has killed some 1,500 animals, including sheep, pigs, mice, rats, and monkeys, since 2018. 

Many who are critical of our dependence on technology view brain chips as the step in the wrong direction. The potential for neurotechnology to be hacked is a particularly alarming prospect, as the consequences of hijacking a brainchip are far worse than those of hijacking a computer. A brain chip gone awry could seriously endanger the life of its host. Regardless, the technology is progressing rapidly, and it seems that it could hit the markets soon, bringing us ever closer to the machines we build.




 

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