CUTTING WITH CRISPR
HOW ENZYMES OPERATE ON DNA TO ALTER GENES
The data is then wirelessly transmitted to action controls on a computer to access speech software. Meanwhile, Synchron has developed a BCI device called Stentrode, a similar solution to the Connexus DDI which instead of brain implants uses a mechanical stent electrode inserted into the brain’s blood vessels to pick up neuron signals.
One of the most talked-about BCI technologies is the Neuralink N1, one of Elon Musk’s many scientific endeavours. Like other BCIs, Neuralink is designed to translate a person’s brain activity into digital actions. About the size of a pound coin, the device is implanted beneath the skull with an electrode that detects neural activity and interprets these as commands for a computer. It enables hands-free access to the internet and playing video games, but the scope of Neuralink may be limitless with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Like having ChatGPT installed in your head, an AI-powered BCI implant could theoretically allow you to access online data just by thinking about it, giving you the answer to questions you’ve barely even thought about. Musk has hinted at the idea of humans one day merging with software, saying at the World Government Summit in Dubai in 2017: “Over time, I think we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence.”