Neuralink will release the Blindsight chip, which will restore sight to the blind

Elon Musk has confirmed that the company is preparing to test a new implant called Blindsight, designed to restore vision to blind people in low resolution.

According to Musk, the first human tests could start by the end of 2025. Previously, Neuralink registered three new names for its implants: Telepathy, Blindsight and Telekinesis. The first is already undergoing testing and helps paralyzed users interact with a computer using their thoughts. Blindsight is designed to work with the visual cortex of the brain, stimulating neurons to form visual images.

At the initial stage, the implant will provide vision in low resolution, comparable to the 8-bit graphics of old game consoles. However, in the future, the technology can expand the boundaries of human perception, including the ability to see infrared and ultraviolet radiation.

According to Musk, the Blindsight implant has already been tested on monkeys and has shown stable performance for several years. In the future, the technology should reach a level that allows users to obtain superhuman vision.

Neuralink has completed preliminary animal experiments and is now preparing for the first phase of human testing. The Telepathy chip is already being used by three volunteers with spinal cord injuries or ALS. If the Blindsight trials are successful, 2025 could be the year the implant partially restores vision in humans.

The first patient to be implanted with a brain chip from Neuralink has already lost weight and is learning new skills. The founder of the startup, Elon Musk, said that the patient can control a computer mouse with his thoughts. “Progress is good, and the patient seems to have lost weight completely, without any negative consequences that we know of,” Musk said.

Last month, the company reached another major milestone in its history, successfully implanting a brain chip into its first patient after the company received approval to begin human trials in September. Musk tweeted shortly after that that the early results showed promising neural spikes.