There Are Two Sides to the Brain Implant StoryIt is, some say, the stuff of X-Men — the road to man-machines. In January, Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-machine interface (BMI) company, implanted a device in a quadriplegic man. Now, according to videos posted on Friday, he can control a computer cursor and even play video games like Mario Kart using just his thoughts. Some were aghast at Neuralink’s audacity in already beginning human trials; meanwhile, Musk appears to be looking towards the future: How long before brain implants are routine in the treatment of schizophrenia, depression, autism or — the company’s first stated aim — paralysis? As Josh Sims explains in his gripping report on the state of brain implants, “the medical case for BMIs seems both clear and exciting.” What isn’t as clear, according to the disagreements among experts he interviewed, is what comes next. “As impressive as these early proofs of concept are, they all have one thing in common: they’re about fixing what is already broken. They are, in short, a long way from the science fiction — or science-fiction dystopia, depending on your perspective — of an implant offering abilities beyond normal brain function.” Alleviating paralysis is one thing. Turning otherwise healthy humans into cyborgs is another. | 