Picture this:  A completely physically disabled person from the neck down, now able to walk, and have complete function of his limbs as any normal human being would.

A blind man no longer needing the spittle mixed with mud and placed on his eyes to see.

A speech impeded person now able to speak fluently in 25 countries. Ok ok. That may be a bit of stretch…25 languages you say?

Lazarus! Get up from the dead and come out from behind that rock. Oops! sorry, wrong story. That is from the bible. Hang on, hang on. Come to think of it, what if….?

This is what a tech company is hoping to do through its development of ultra high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers.

Now, let’s think for just a bit. The cost of producing man-sized robots to perform most, if not all the physical tasks a man can do, would be astronomical. What more to maintain them? In a relatively short lifespan, these “technological marvels” will began their destiny in becoming obsolete as soon as they are built, due to continuous superfast technology improvements and inventions. They could end up as scrap sooner than later.

Let’s consider questioning the costs of a complete man-size robot: The manufacture cost will be exorbitant. Multiply that by the numbers of units they intend to build.

Now, let’s cover another area. He, on several occasions, said that robots are a threat to mankind.

He could be the trojan horse within our midst. He may want to take control over mankind. Why want to conquer another planet when the earth seems his for the taking.

The whole idea of implanting a chip in the brain by connecting the brain’s neuron nerves to the microchips wires. It is to help stimulate the weak, infected or dead cells to start working again.

“First this product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs,” Elon Musk said in April 2021. Neuralink also believes its device will eventually be able to restore neural activity inside the body, allowing those with spinal cord injuries to move limbs.

Based on the above, assuming that a paralyzed person with very little or no handphone skills, can now use a smartphone with their minds faster than those using their thumbs.

Does this mean a paralysed person can run faster than a normal trained athlete? Will normal aspirated athletes have to compete against these specially aided people?

Will this groundbreaking technology over-ride what the person may experience when moving? Will it suppress the pain?

How does it work? Will it force the person to move his limbs even though that person may feel great pain? Will the chip override the actual feeling of pain? Will the person have full control of himself?

How is the chip powered? How is the chip tracked? Does the chipmaker have override control? Does the person with the chip implanted, have any control besides basic limb movement? Will this chip function in the same way and intensity for each and every person, regardless race, creed, age?

Can this chip be transferred from one human to another? Can it be transferred to an animal?

There has been unverified news circling that Elon Musk is a kind and generous man. Does this mean he will be giving the chip away for free, especially to the needy?

I am intrigued by this popular, yet mysterious man, Elon Musk. He is one of the world’s richest men. He is said to be South African – born in South Africa, acquiring Canadian citizenship through his Canadian-born mother. He did his higher education in the United States. He still retains very much of his English accent.

How is it to be determined who gets the first few waves of these microchips? Is there going to be a basic, economy, fast, superfast, pro and ultra choice of chips (sounds like the chips are being scavenged from smartphone devices? Will rental / selling prices consummate with each chip range? Or will you have to buy the chip and pay a monthly subscription to keep these chips working for you?

There are questions after questions which mainly lead to questions on ethics. While there is no doubt who the owner of this microchip is, the idea in which this microchip was thought of in the first place, would be considerably altered by now, and continues to be “fine-tuned” as we speak / write.

Am I onto something? Implanting a chip in a person may seem bizarre but the idea is not knew. There was a popular television series, “The Bionic Man” and another series, “The Bionic Woman”, in the 1980s and 1990s, which was followed by several movies where people, ordinary people became bionic.

Bionic means a man or woman having ordinary human powers increased by the aid of bionic devices (real or fictional). They show their capabilities when “working out in gymnasiums to become bionic men”, for example.

It is interesting how mankind behaves to these warnings. Nobody is doing anything. Absolutely nothing! No one seems alarmed that a danger like this is right at their doorstep. The Trojan horse has managed to come past the gates.

We seem so quick as to surrender (o.k. the word “surrender” may not be the right word) relinquish our freedom of choice, the same freedom to make decisions to Artificial Intelligence (A. I.) without even giving it much thought.

Guess what? The A. I. that you surrender your decision making is not absolutely automated (at least for now). It is controlled by somebody or an organization. A. I. did not just spring out of nowhere on its own.

We need to seriously be more informative and engage in the conversation about the ethical and social aspects of A. I. and brain-machine interfaces. We should not rely on the excuse that we are not qualified in this area, so we leave it to those who are and hope for the best.

We are in control of our lives now or have some semblance of it. Or do we?

NOTES:
I have always admired Elon Musk for his foresight in technology. I may not agree with many of his decisions. He has the vision to see far ahead into the future with the end game in mind, using his technological ingenuity to bridge the now and the future.

The aim of this essay is to raise and provide thought provoking questions. The intention is to not go in depth and include detailed analysis.
1. Joedan Valinsky, CNN Business “Elon Musk is no longer the richest man on the planet, according to Forbes”; Thursday, December 8th, 2022.