Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company owned by Elon Musk, is seeking its first test subjects for the PRIME Study, a six-year trial aimed at testing Neuralink technology designed to assist individuals with paralysis in controlling devices. The company is specifically looking for people with quadriplegia due to vertical spinal cord injury or ALS who are over the age of 22 and have a consistent and reliable caregiver.
The PRIME Study will focus on researching three key components: the N1 implant, Neuralink’s brain-computer device; the R1 robot, responsible for surgically implanting the device; and the N1 User App, the software that connects to the N1 and translates brain signals into computer actions. Neuralink intends to assess the safety and efficacy of all three parts of the system through the study.
It is essential to note that the technology being tested in the PRIME Study is not the all-encompassing brain computer system that Musk has been talking about for years. While Musk envisions telepathy and the use of Neuralink to keep up with artificial intelligence, the system being tested is far from achieving such ambitions.
However, this study marks a significant step for Neuralink, which obtained FDA approval in May after facing rejection from the agency in early 2022. Neuralink has often attracted controversy due to Musk’s grandiose promises and the company’s internal practices. The treatment of monkeys in testing has been a recurring concern, with regulators identifying numerous issues. Neuralink is currently under investigation for illegally transporting pathogen-laced devices removed from monkeys.
Participants in the PRIME Study will undergo an 18-month study involving nine visits with researchers. Subsequently, they will engage in at least two hours of brain-computer interface research sessions per week and complete an additional 20 visits over the next five years. Neuralink has not specified the number of subjects it is seeking or the commencement date of the study. The company only mentions having obtained approval from “our first hospital site.” Compensation for participants will be limited to study-related costs such as travel to and from the study location.
Neuralink’s promises and plans often blur together, making it challenging to predict the outcomes and timelines of the PRIME Study accurately. Nonetheless, it appears that we are on the verge of witnessing the initial findings of what happens when Elon Musk’s innovations penetrate deeply into the human mind.
