Technology geeks across the Pacific, are realizing the old imperial dreams "read minds" and "immortal technique."
Musk with the establishment of neural technology companies Neuralink announced that it has found a way to efficient implementation of brain-computer interface, and plans to conduct human trials next year.
Neuralink brain-computer interface technology, are intended to be human and artificial intelligence integration is not only possible to treat many neurological diseases. Limb, organ repair, but also save the eternal consciousness, eternal realization of human ambition.
Musk's crazy, shocked the world.
1 | Musk "nervous netting"
20 years ago, Zhu Ling thallium poisoning case Tsinghua University student, has repeatedly become the focus of public opinion.
After several intentional deadly chemical thallium poisoning, Zhu Ling appeared paralyzed, brain damage and other serious symptoms, from young girls to become an accomplished life can not take care of themselves, children intelligence back to the level of life of patients.
Now, the "tech geek" Musk installed to irreversible brain damage in patients with Zhu Ling suffered a glimmer of recovery this life.
After an accident suffered physical damage, loss of function, by surviving brain with brain control machinery bones, and even the extraction of consciousness in the brain and transferred ......
It was not long ago Musk and Neuralink depict human picture of the future. Neuralink was established in July 2016, it has so far raised $ 158 million, has about 90 employees.
Musk involved in the investment Neuralink and served as CEO. However, the soul of the company is co-founder and president of Max Hodak (Max Hodak). Hodak has a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering at Duke University, was the creation of intelligent robotics company Tranic.
Compared with Tesla and Space X and other more known for Musk founded the company, has been rather low-key Neuralink mystery. But this time, the start-up companies completely shocked the world.
Born Neuralink is subject to "neural lace (nerve netting)" inspiration. It is a concept from science fiction, it refers to the combination of computer technology and the human brain, by implanting tiny electrodes to the brain, making the future of the human mind can achieve upload and download.
Currently Neuralink focus on brain-computer interface technology ((brain-machine interface)) research and development. BCI known as brain or cerebral Fusion sensing port, in a human or animal brain (brain cells or the culture) to establish the direct connection paths between the external device.
Briefly, as will be appreciated BCI machine brain + + interface, a tunnel is established between the external device and a human brain, the brain through the read signal, and the use of computer chips and program signals into action.
Its realization depends very first product Neuralink brain-computer interface technology - a miniature computer chip. Such a custom chip for receiving, processing, and amplifying action potential - peak potential (Spikes), i.e. inside the neurons in the brain signaling activity.
Ultrafine chips will be attached, embedded electrode, the wire can accept the received spike (threads). Subsequently, a neural chip by robotic surgical precisely fitted inside the brain tissue.
In this way, "nervous netting" from science fiction to achieve in the real world.
Neuralink animal has been possible to control the robot so that the machine with the brain, the success rate of about 87%. It is also working with the University of California, Davis experiment with monkeys, "There is a monkey whose brain can control the computer."
Of course, the ultimate goal is not Neuralink of animals. Musk believes, Neuralink future technologies can end the suffering of many humans. Hodak revealed, Neuralink will seek FDA approval as early as 2020 began human clinical trials.
Currently, there are around 50 million people live in is not the degree of paralysis, there are at least 25 million people suffer spinal cord injuries each year. Neuralink techniques are believed to help brain injury patients (eg, stroke, cancer or congenital disorders) to enhance the quality of life.
2 | technical disputes
However, Musk latest "smart ideas", so many people still seem worried.
First, from the technical level.
Existing interface of Brain machine is generally divided into invasive and non-intrusive interfaces, Neuralink program options are invasive. Director of the Institute of Medicine bioelectronics 纽约范斯坦 Medical Center Chad Boughton (Chad Bouton) says, Neuralink cord (threads) will still have to penetrate layers of skin risk of infection.
Boughton also said how the information extracted from the brain is a major challenge.
According to the plan of Musk, Neuralink brain brain connect devices can be connected via USB, and control iPhone. However, Neuralink also studying the connection, wireless data transmission solutions.
Boughton said: "wireless telemetry technology has made some progress, but at the same time as the device implanted in the brain of energy supply, and ensure that no excessive heat generation, remains a big challenge." He also pointed out that, more implanted electrodes, the wider the bandwidth, the more data transmission, which requires more energy.
AI industry researcher at the University of Essex Anna Mate Lan - Fernandez (Ana Matran-Fernandez) to Neuralink can find human test subjects skeptical.
She said that in 2020 a group of Musk plans to implant the first humans in the test, which seems overly optimistic.
FDA approval process is often slow, it may take several tries to get approved. In such a short time, the recruitment of human subjects may be more difficult.
Currently, Mate Lan - Fernandez's team was working on a project involving the radial amputees, they spent more than a year to find a volunteer to try a technique invasive technology than Neuralink much smaller.
"If you've got some effective things - a lot of amputees is this - you might not be willing to go to try new things," she believes that people have a healthy brain unlikely adventure invasive surgery .
After Neuralink conference, "MIT Technology Review," also published a similar view: human testing carried out in 2020, this timetable is quite ambitious, but it is unlikely.
3 | read minds
Breakthrough harvesting technology is not always flowers and applause.
BCI plans, and is not limited to the treatment of disease. He said that mankind is facing the risk of being overtaken artificial intelligence machine, but if the human brain is enhanced by connecting to the computer, "we will be able to join this journey."
His ultimate goal was the fusion of human and artificial intelligence.
One of implanted brain-computer interface technology goal is to Neuralink in ensuring the security and sustainability, and gradually increase the number of reads and writes nerve yuan. The number of neurons in the brain can read and write signals, the first is triggered by concerns about data security and privacy issues.
A few days ago, the technology giant Facebook with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement data privacy case, it will pay a record fine of $ 5 billion. In recent years, especially in Facebook "Cambridge analysis" scandal represented large technology companies misuse of user data is not new.
Whether it is the use of USB or wireless technology for transmission, Neuralink brain-computer interface technology is clear that there are user data abuse, the risk of leaks.
Even more worrying is that because this technique requires implanted in the human brain, the brain is directly send and receive signals, the equivalent of the human mind, that is being abused and compromised the future is likely to not only data, but also thinking.
The idea is part of humanity's privacy. Unless I publicly expressed, or under the current technology, others can not spy on one of the most realistic idea.
Neuralink of brain-computer interface technology allows human consciousness fused with machinery, the boundaries of the private sector and the public sector will thus become blurred, there is the possibility of human loss of individual autonomy.
If the idea can be ascertained technology, its technology is likely to be manipulated.
Cambridge analysis companies use Facebook and other platforms dissemination of specific information flow to achieve the control objectives. This indirect process, the information to identify human remains possible. But if the brain-computer interface technology is mature, direct implantation, tampering consciousness, views and opinions, the human equivalent to accept the brainwashing, a complete lack of self-screening to determine possible information.
After Neuralik conference, Zhou circle of friends commented: "360 guards have to prepare in advance the development of the brain, the brain antivirus, firewall human brain, otherwise this system certainly has loopholes, in case of being used to hijack or phone trick, then by BCI do something. "
In fact, Japanese manga artist Masamune Shirow 30 years ago to take advantage of technology to make the idea of hijacking and reflection depicted in its classic "Ghost in the Shell."
Japanese comics in the future, with the rapid development of electronic communication network technology and mechanization of human technology, computer crime more rampant and complex, there have been special forces specialized high-tech crime crackdown - Police Lesson 9.
Comics, police Lesson 9 biggest enemy is behind the invasion of others electronic tampering with its memory, so that it becomes a "puppet" of the mysterious super-hacker working for him - the "Puppet Master."
In the business world, a monopoly means that the distribution of wealth and resources imbalance in the market; in the political world, like "puppet master" as the ideological manipulation and monopoly means that the autocratic and totalitarian.
4 | "puppet" and a master manipulator
July 23, Microsoft will invest $ 1 billion in research and development OpenAI Universal Artificial Intelligence (AGI).
Musk is the co-founder of OpenAI. 2015, Y Combinator and its former CEO Sam Altman (Sam Altman) funded the establishment of OpenAI. But earlier this year, Musk announced he was leaving OpenAI board of directors.
OpenAI to their own position is a "non-profit Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory", claiming that it will be open to all research results to the public, and give it all the patents royalty-free (royalty-free), so as to ensure that one day beyond the computer the prospect of human intelligence does not become anti-utopia (dystopia) type despair. Zhengzhou infertility hospital: http: //jbk.39.net/yiyuanzaixian/zztjyy/ Zhengzhou infertility hospital Which is good: http: //jbk.39.net/yiyuanzaixian/zztjyy/ Zhengzhou infertility hospital rankings: http: //jbk.39.net/yiyuanzaixian/zztjyy/
Dystopian often characterized as catastrophic decline of humanity, totalitarian government, ecological disaster or other social in nature, and technology is often a key cause of these disasters occur.
As noted above, if Neuralink like brain-computer interface technology is mature, human consciousness and memory can be manipulated, first of all we will lose the ability to distinguish between real and virtual, so lost in a false world, ignoring the real world.
In the 1930s, the British writer Adolfo Division Huxley in his dystopian masterpiece "Brave New World" in the description of the future highly developed human technology, but the spirit is weak and empty world, called "soma" of psychotropic drugs flooding.
Swallow "soma" people can get a high degree of pleasure, so forget the reality of the problems, it is therefore reduced to a puppet manipulated ideas and humanity. With the development of Internet technology and artificial intelligence, "soma" With the new electronic form.
Movie "Player One", because of the real world the verge of collapse, people put their hope in the virtual universe "Oasis" - a video game, and big corporations are using the "Oasis" to control the real world.
When the technology in the hands of the rulers if ulterior motives, will eventually lead to abuse of power, form of life or death to another person for the part of some people.
This is why this year, Chinese scientists Hejian Kui infant twins were genetically modified to try to prevent human trials of AIDS has not only failed receipt appreciation and honor, but raises ethical reasons, social, political and legal aspects of the controversy and criticism.
Who decided to human life? With the development of technology, the answer is likely to be a scientist.
Carry human genes can be treated as a new caste system, it has become the source of all injustice and oppression.
Musk and Neuralik build brain-computer interface technology, the nature of its objectives and also tantamount to a transformation of human technology, and therefore will face Hejian Kui encountered the same question.
Through technical change or enhance the idea is as old as mankind and humanity itself. From the first pieces of manufacturing tools, humans have been beyond their physical limits to try.
Evolutionary let the wolf have sharp teeth, so that the cheetah has unmatched speed. Humans have evolved did not allow any physical advantage, but to give us both more complex and subtle than any creature on earth wisdom, we are using this intelligence to compensate for their physical disadvantage.
The moment, in addition to external influences and family tragedy like Zhu Ling, human intelligence is more natural decision. Musk and Neuralink pursuit of human and artificial intelligence fusion, if successful, Trans human from concept to reality, it will have artificially created inequality may intellectually.
In theory, fusion of human and artificial intelligence at the level of intelligence will surpass human without fusion; and the integration of artificial intelligence in the population, the people who get technology upgrades will not get upgraded beyond.
Intelligence, and even enhanced on human physiology, may use their own advantages slavery, and even destroy the average person.
5 | Who is eligible to achieve eternal life
"Captain America 2", Dr. Zola Hydra members will mind uploading to a computer, to achieve eternal life. A similar approach has appeared in TV series "western world": the awareness that people form of electronic data stored in the server, hope that one day can be integrated with a robot body to achieve eternal life.
There is a key ethical question: Who is eligible to achieve eternal life.
In the "Western world", the robot can enjoy the paradise of pleasure and killing only the rich afford the expenses, and eternal paradise collect these data can only be rich.
On the other hand, eternal life is not necessarily a blessing, more likely to be the most vicious curse, accompanied by endless loneliness and pain.
"People can control technology, technology will gradually produce revolt." This is one of the "Western World" director Jonathan Nolan (Jonathan Nolan) Thoughts on technology, AI threats.
Moreover, the use of artificial intelligence on the road to eternal life, to ensure that no one, not like artificial intelligence "Western world" where the robots self-awareness of their "Creator" - against humans, and even become the new ruler .
The movie "The Matrix" is for us to show the computer program "Matrix (the Matrix)" How to borrow from the connector and coupling of human brain, mimicking vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch and psychological, creating infinitely approaching real world, deception, press imprisoned human computer network.
After Neuralink conference, Coventry University professor of cybernetics Kevin Warwick (Kevin Warwick) that "effective and artificial intelligence together" The idea is not a fantasy. "At this point, I agree with him one hundred percent, upgrading of human potential is enormous."
But he also said: "But I want him (Musk) personally went to try his generalities, but he has not done any experiments.."
April 2011, SpaceX announced at a conference on "Falcon Heavy" development plan, but the plan will not only postpone the flight test program several times, and failure recovery situation explosion also appeared several times in the flight test.
After years of ridicule and satire, in April this year, "Falcon Heavy" first successful commercial launch, successfully recovered all three rocket boosters.
This time, Musk "brain-computer interface program" is approaching you.