Elon Musk reported back in January that the first human testing subject for the new Neuralink brain implant was “recovering well.” Today, this subject, who is paralyzed from the shoulders down, went live on X to tell the world he had successfully moved a computer mouse using only his thoughts.

This is all part of Neuralink’s “human-computer interface” initiative and is intended to help humans, especially the disabled, to interact with technology. Neuralink, though, has come under considerable fire, not least of all for the monkeys that died a few years ago from botched implant trials. In addition, hooking people up to computers like this feels beyond dystopian, and begs the question of how such technology might be abused if placed in the hands of bad actors. A Wired article calls attention to other companies trying to capitalize on brain implant technology. Emily Mullin writes,

Several other companies are racing to commercialize brain-computer interfaces. One competitor, Synchron, is developing a stent-like device that is inserted into the jugular vein and pushed up so that it lays against the brain. The New York–based company implanted its first subject in 2019 and since has shown that the device is safe and has enabled people with paralysis to browse the web and do online shopping and banking. The FDA hasn’t approved any BCI yet; they are all still experimental.

-Emily Mullin, Watch Neuralink’s First Human Subject Demonstrate His Brain-Computer Interface | WIRED

Today, in the internet age, most of our privacy is gone. Most people don’t realize how easily tech companies can access their personal data, which is then sold to advertising companies. Social media companies see you the user as the product. You’re what’s making them all the money by giving them insight into your preferences, desires, and emotions. In the case of the Twitter files last year, such companies censored unfavorable viewpoints. Now, it almost seems that one’s internal thoughts remain one of the sole arenas that we can claim our own. One might see, then, how gleeful some companies might be if they can literally mine data from their users’ brains to sell to advertisers. What kind of algorithm might result? And could anyone resist it once it’s honed to perfection?

The Neuralink human subject noted that there is still a long way to go with the technology, and of course, Neuralink and similar biotech ventures have a lot of work to do to convince the general public that their products are safe to use. Given the hype over the new advances in AI, it will be interesting to see whether companies fawn over brain implant technology in a similar way. Elon Musk is far from alone in his interest in telepathic communication. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg expressed eager interest way back in 2015, according to a report from CNN. Dominic Rech writes,

“You’ll just be able to think of something and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if you’d like,” Zuckerberg said in 2015. “This would be the ultimate communication technology.”

-Dominic Rech, Brain implants could give governments and companies power to read your mind, scientists warn | CNN

Optimists believe brain implant technology can provide enumerable benefits to the paralyzed and those suffering with neurological illness like Alzheimer’s. Recent technological history tells us that corporations may be eager to get the upper hand and use it as an excuse to violate privacy even more than they already have.