A computer chip will be installed in the brains of participants, who can only hope for better results than Musk's test monkeys, many of whom met a grisly fate.

Business Insider reports that Neuralink, the brain-computer interface startup co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, has seen skyrocketing public interest in its upcoming human trials. A recent report says thousands of people have lined up to take part in the trials, which involve the implantation of a brain chip, referred to by Musk as “the Fitbit in your skull”. This development follows the FDA's authorization for Neuralink to begin human trials, after initially rejecting its offer for safety reasons.

Neuralink's ambitious project aims to create a symbiosis between man and machine, enabling direct communication and control through thought. While the initial goal is to help people with neurological conditions, such as those suffering from paralysis due to spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the long-term view extends to broader applications, such as sending messages or playing games with your mind alone.

The process includes a craniectomy – the removal of part of the skull – followed by insertion of the brain chip and an ultrafine array of around 64 wires by a robot. These wires, thinner than a lock of hair, would then be connected to the brain. The chip, designed to be placed behind the ear, would replace the part of the skull removed during surgery.

Despite the keen interest it arouses, Neuralink has not yet implanted its device in a human being. The company has set a goal of operating on 11 people next year and more than 22 by 000. Before carrying out human trials, Neuralink carried out implantation operations on animal testing subjects, including pigs and monkeys, using the robot designed for this procedure. Elon Musk has pushed for the robot to operate faster and for operations to be carried out without human assistance, highlighting the urgency of progress in this area.

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