Neuralink's trial of connecting the brain with a computer results in 15 monkey deaths out of 23

In Neuralink's effort to connect the human brain to a computer, 15 of the 23 monkeys died. Elon Musk's company is developing implants that will allow people to communicate with computers through thought.

The San Francisco-based business wants to implant wireless brain-computer chips to help heal neurological diseases including Alzheimer's, dementia, and spinal cord injuries, as well as bring humanity and artificial intelligence together.

Using more than 2,000 electrodes implanted in sections of the monkey's motor cortex that control hand and arm movements, Neuralink records and decodes electrical signals from the brain.

Through firms like Tesla Inc, SpaceX, and Boring Co., Musk has a history of bringing together various expertise to build technology that was previously exclusive to academic labs.

He has become an outspoken pessimist about the dangers that artificial intelligence could offer to humanity in the future. Continued advancements in AI cognitive capacities, he and other sceptics argue, might lead to robots that outthink and outmanoeuvre people with whom they may have nothing in common.

The idea of directly connecting a brain to electronics isn't new. Doctors use electrodes implanted in the brain to administer stimulation for illnesses like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Implanted sensors have allowed disabled persons to control computers and move robotic limbs in studies.

However, Musk's concept goes even beyond. Neuralink hopes to expand on existing medical therapies and, in the future, develop operations that could boost mental abilities.

Neuralink isn't the only business working on brain-based artificial intelligence.

Bryan Johnson founded Kernel in 2016, after selling his previous payments startup Braintree to PayPal for $800 million. Kernel is focused on "advanced brain interfaces" to treat sickness and extend cognition.