Will Neuralink’s Brain-Chip Implant Transform Work Options For Disabled Workers? First Human Trial Underway

While AI is the tech currently making the most waves in the world of work, a step toward what could be another massively impactful technology advancement happened this week as the first Neuralink human trial began. 

Elon Musk announced on Monday that his company had successfully implanted a brain-chip in a human for the first time.  

According to a report published by Reuters, Musk states the patient is recovering well, and initial tests show the device can detect neuron spikes — a combo of electrical and chemical signals in the brain used to send information throughout the brain and body.  

This implant is part of Neuralink’s declared effort to help people with paralysis and other neurological conditions control computers and other devices with their thoughts. The U.S. FDA had approved this human trial. 

The company calls its first product “Telepathy.” Its ongoing trial, PRIME Study, will assess the safety of the implant and the surgical robot used for the chip’s implantation. 

Neuralink’s technology involves using ultra-fine threads in the brain to transmit signals. Safety has been the major early concern. Reuters reports veterinary records showed problems with the implant trials on monkeys, which included paralysis, seizures and brain swelling. 

While Neuralink’s technology is only in the early trial stages of development and has a lot of barriers to wide-spread adoption, in time it might be the next step in how people interact with computers and machines.  In the meantime, tech giants like Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft, and smaller companies like Humane continue investing in cutting-edge wearable technology. 

Neuralink could create new ways of working for people with disabilities, enhancing their ability to communicate and interact using implanted technology. Nearly 1.8 million people with disabilities have entered the labor force since the onset of the pandemic, marking a 28% increase, while the workforce grew by just 1%. Technology like what’s being developed by Neuralink might bring about further changes in how jobs are performed, which could empower more people to enter and participate in the workforce.