Elon Musk’s Neuralink brings ‘Blindsight’ to restore vision of blinds

Neuralink, the American nanotechnology company founded by Elon Musk, has recently announced its latest device, or implant, named ‘Blindsight’ that can restore the vision to blind people.

If Blindsight comes to fruition as claimed it is going to hit a remarkable milestone in the history of science and technology. 

About Neuralink 

Led by a team of high-profile neuroscientists and engineers, Neuralink Corp has successfully developed implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

A BCI is a device that allows the human brain to communicate with and control external software or hardware, like a computer or robotic limb. The Neuralink chip is a tool that helps patients with quadriplegia (a dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord).

The chip implanted into a quadriplegic patient’s brain in 2024 allowed him to control a computer. Musk has announced his startup’s plans to provide brain chip implants to eight more patients this year.

And now Neuralink is about to set the record with another remarkable discovery, Blindsight.

What is Blindsight?

Musk has revealed that Blindsight, which is currently being tested in monkeys, could eventually provide a level of visual resolution that exceeds even natural human vision.

Blindsight is supposed to restore vision to those who have lost both eyes or their optic nerve.

The new device, Blindsight is completely different from Neuralink’s other project known as Telepathy, which is designed to allow patients with spinal cord injuries to control computers using their thoughts.

While Telepathy allows users to engage in activities like playing video games and designing 3D objects, Blindsight is specifically aimed at restoring vision to blind people. 

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Challenges ahead

However, optimistic the project sounds, Neuralink will have to face challenges in bringing Blindsight to fruition. Firstly, it is not the only company exploring vision-restoring implants, and secondly, the journey to fully restore sight is filled with complexities.

Experts have already expressed doubts about the possibility of restoring vision to individuals who have been blind from birth, as they might not have developed the biological pathways necessary for processing visual information.

This brings uncertainty on the limits of what such technologies can actually achieve. Moreover, ethical concerns have also been raised regarding the animal testing practices needed in the project. While Musk said that no animals have been seriously harmed during the testing process, federal investigators have reportedly examined their practices.

Elon Musk optimistic about new project

"The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time," Musk tweeted early Wednesday.

The Tesla CEO also said that "to set expectations correctly, the vision will first be at low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge".

In the tweet, he shared a photo of Geordi La Forge, a born-blind character from the sci-fi TV series Star Trek, who uses different technological devices that allow him to see.

The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.

Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.

To set expectations correctly, the vision… https://t.co/MYLHNcPrw6 pic.twitter.com/RAenDpd3fx

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2024

Neuralink has also shared that their upcoming project received the Breakthrough Device Designation from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), USA. 

FDA gives the Breakthrough Device Designation only to certain medical devices that provide treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions. It is aimed at accelerating the development and review of devices currently under development.