Neuralink, Elon Musk's startup that's trying to directly link brains and computers, has developed a system to feed thousands of electrical probes into a brain and hopes to start testing the technology on humans in in 2020, Chief Executive Elon Musk revealed.
伊隆·马斯克的企业Neutralink(神经连接)致力于将大脑和计算机直接相连,已经研发出了一个系统,能将大量电子探针植入大脑。首席执行官伊隆·马斯克透露,这家企业希望在2020年开始在人类身上试验这项技术。
And it's working already in animal tests. "A monkey has been able to control a computer with his brain," Musk said at a San Francisco livestreaming the presentation on YouTube Tuesday, revealing even more research results than the company's scientists expected.
这在动物身上有效。“猴子可以用大脑控制计算机了。”马斯克周二在YouTube上直播的旧金山展示中说道。他透露出的研究结果比公司的科学家预料的更多。
Neuralink's initial goal is to help people deal with brain and spinal cord injuries or congenital defects, Musk said.
马斯克说,Neurallink最初的目标是帮助脑和脊柱损伤的以及有先天性缺陷的人。
The technology could help paraplegics who have lost the ability to move or sense because of spinal cord injury -- a medical treatment that's a lot less shocking than radical sci-fi ideas like "consensual telepathy."
这项技术可以帮助因脊柱受伤而失去行动感觉能力的瘫痪患者。这种疗法不像激进的科幻小说中的“心电感应”那么震撼。
But the long-term goal is to build a "digital superintelligence layer" to link humans with artificial intelligence, a technology he views as an existential threat to humanity.
但是长期目标是建立一个“数字超智能层”,将人类与人工智能连接起来。这项技术在他看来是对人类存在方面的威胁。
"Ultimately, we can do a full brain-machine interfaces where we can achieve a sort of symbiosis with AI," Musk said. One goal along the way will be letting people type 40 words per minute just by thinking.
马斯克说,“最终,我们可以做出完全的大脑-机器接口。这样我们就能与AI达成共生关系。”一个一路上的目标是让人们一分钟打40个字,光靠想。
Neuralink has the potential to dramatically reshape both computing and humanity -- if it and like-minded researchers can persuade regulators and society at large that we should be directly wired to machines.
如果Neuralink和志同道合的研究员们可以说服监管者和整个社会,让我们直接与机器相连,那么Neuralink有潜力来大幅重构计算机技术和人类。
That's a big if. The challenges are immense when it comes to developing the technology, making it practical and affordable, and convincing people it's safe and desirable.
不确定性很大。挑战巨大,需要发展技术,让技术变得实际、负担得起,说服人们技术是安全可取的。
The startup uses sewing machine-like technology this year to drill small holes into brains and insert super-slender electrodes called threads, steering clear of blood vessels as they go.
这家企业今年用缝纫机一样的技术在头上钻小孔,插入极细的叫做线的电极,同时避开血管。