Brain-Computer Interfaces (Neuralink)
Closing the gap between biology and silicon.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →The neurotechnology industry transitioned from research to human application as companies like Neuralink and Synchron successfully implanted high-bandwidth Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) into human patients, allowing them to control computers natively via thought.
Key Numbers
- Bandwidth (Early Tech)
- Tens of electrodes
- Bandwidth (Neuralink N1)
- 1,024 electrodes
Verified Facts
- In January 2024, Neuralink implanted its "Telepathy" device into a quadriplegic patient. Using a surgical robot, 64 microscopic, flexible threads carrying 1,024 electrodes were wired directly into his motor cortex, allowing him to browse the web and play video games using only his thoughts.
- By 2026, the industry saw rapid expansion with advanced surgical robots designed to target any region of the brain, not just the motor cortex, moving toward generalized neural interfaces.
- According to Ray Kurzweil, high-bandwidth BCIs are the critical prerequisite for the Singularity, as they will eventually allow humans to connect their neocortex directly to the cloud, merging biological intelligence with artificial superintelligence.