Elon Musk Predicts Neuralink-Enhanced Gamers to Outperform Pros Within Two Years

Elon Musk predicts that Neuralink implants will enable users to outperform professional gamers within two years, thanks to enhanced reaction times. Neuralink's initial focus remains on repairing neuron damage, but plans include augmenting human capabilities.

Elon Musk Predicts Neuralink Chips to Enhance Gamers' Performance, Aims for Human-AI Symbiosis

As Elon Musk predicted, a future in which a human with a chip-enhanced brain can defeat a professional video game player is not far off.

Musk referenced his Neuralink start-up, which implanted a device into an individual's brain earlier this year, in an episode of Lex Fridman's podcast published on August 2.

“We feel pretty confident that in the next year or two, someone with a Neuralink implant would be able to outperform a pro gamer because the reaction time would be faster,” he said.

According to Fortune, Neuralink announced in March that the first individual to have a chip implanted in their brain is a quadriplegic who has acquired the capacity to play video games using their consciousness.

Musk stated on August 2 that Neuralink's long-term objective is to enhance the symbiosis between humans and AI by improving an individual's ability to communicate at a high volume.

He clarified that AI will become "bored" while waiting for humans to communicate at a few bits per second, as it can do so at terabits per second. He also compared the situation to conversing with a tree.

However, he emphasized that Neuralink's initial priority is to resolve damaged neurons in the spinal cord, neck, or brain, as it did with its initial patients.

“We’re just starting with the basics here, the simple stuff, relatively speaking is solving neuron damage,”Musk said.

However, he suggested that the company could pursue "augmentation" of individuals without neurological issues once the dangers of Neuralink brain implants are demonstrated to be low after thousands of individuals have been using them for years.

Neuralink has already announced its intention to provide individuals with neuron injury with a "communication data rate" surpassing the average human.

“While we’re in there, why not? Let’s give people superpowers,” Musk said.

Neuralink's Blindsight Product Could Surpass Human Vision, Offering Ultraviolet and Infrared Capabilities

In the same vein, Neuralink has the potential to enhance human vision by expanding upon its Blindsight product, which is designed to restore sight. He explained that initially, the product would produce images with limited resolution; however, it could eventually achieve a resolution that surpasses that of humans. Additionally, the product could facilitate vision in various spectrum regions, such as ultraviolet or infrared.

Musk reported that Neuralink had progressed on its initial patient in February and intended to implant a device in a second patient last month. He informed Fridman on August 2 that the second implant had been performed and that it had been "so far, so good."

Representatives of Neushould should have promptly addressed a request for comment.

Neuralink's N1 brain-computer interface, approximately the size of a quarter, is intended to record and transmit neural activity. It consists of over 1,000 electrodes dispersed across dozens of distinct filaments, each thinner than a human hair.