AI Endgame: Brain Chips Merging Humans with AI (Part 1)

Newsletter #23

Feb 28, 2025

https://debbiecoffey.substack.com/p/ai-endgame-brain-chips-merging-humans

February 28, 2025

By Debbie Coffey, AI Endgame

Last month, I read an article about Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, implanting a brain chip in a third person.[1] My mind immediately jumped to “cyborg.”

I started to think of movies about part human/part machine cyborgs, including “The Terminator” (1984), “Robocop” (1987), and “Cyborg” (1989). What was considered science fiction only decades ago is now reality.

So naturally, I wanted to find out more about research involving brain chips by Neuralink, its competitors, and other countries.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

The scientific term for “brain chips” is brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). BCIs “acquire brain signals, analyze them, and translate them into commands that are relayed to output devices that carry out desired actions.” [2]

In other words, a BCI is a device that translates signals in the brain to control some external activity like the use of a cursor or a prosthetic limb.

BCIs are either invasive (surgically implanted into, or on top of, the brain) or non-invasive (relying on external electrodes and other sensors or equipment connected to the external surface of the head or body). [3] There are currently about 47 clinical trials of BCIs in the U.S. [4]

I support medical BCI uses that help people with spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, or strokes to communicate and improve their lives. However, we need to keep an eye on BCI research for military and commercial uses. I’ll give you more information about these BCI uses in Part 2 (my next newsletter). Spoiler alert: the details will give you nightmares.

First, I want to give you a quick overview of some BCI experiments:

Neuralink and merging humans with AI

Elon Musk founded Neuralink in 2016. A year later, Musk spoke about his fear that AI will become “smarter than the smartest human on earth” and called this a “dangerous situation.” According to Musk, with the widespread use of AI, humans will become useless, so humans need to merge with machines. [5]

In 2019, Elon Musk said Neuralink’s long-term goal was exactly this, people “merging with AI.” [6]

So, instead of slowing down the development of AI until we can make sure it is safe and doesn’t cause human extinction, we’re going to implant AI into our bodies so that we won’t be “useless.” I’m not sold on this.

In 2024, Neuralink implanted their first brain chip. [7] The “N1 chip” interprets brain signals, then translates the signals to command devices like robotic arms or game controllers. The three patients who have received the N1 chip have used their thoughts to control a computer cursor and play video games. [8]

Neuralink has upgraded the implants with more electrodes, higher bandwidth and a longer battery life. Neuralink intends to insert the implants in 20 to 30 more people this year.

It’s interesting to note that DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency), headed by Elon Musk, fired about 20 employees who were part of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices, responsible for reviewing clinical trial applications of brain implant technology, including Neuralink’s. [9]

Elon Musk’s rush to commercialize Neuralink’s BCIs have come at a cost. Neuralink has killed about 1,500 animals, including more than 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys, following brain chip experiments from 2018 to 2022. [10]

There were also complaints of animal cruelty during Neuralink’s experimentation.

No wonder Musk got rid of those pesky FDA watchdogs.

Synchron

Tom Oxley, a neurologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, co- founded Synchron in 2012 with Rahul Sharma, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California. Synchron has received funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.

Synchron describes their technology as “neurotechnology to address the limitations of the human body.” Synchron’s method avoids open brain surgery.

Synchron inserts a stent-like device called a “stentrode” into a blood vessel near the brain’s motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls movements. The stentrode consists of a small tube of metal mesh fitted with electrode sensors encased in a sheath. A wire from the stentrode trails to a small device embedded in the chest. The device in the chest sends data captured by the stentrode, via Bluetooth, to an outside computer, which deciphers the information. [11]

Synchron is integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o into its BCI to speed things up. ChatGPT’s AI is used to search relevant context, such as previous conversations, to anticipate responses, then offers the user possible answers to be selected with a single "click" triggered through brain signals. [12]

As of 2024, Synchron had tried its BCI on six patients in the U.S. and four patients in Australia, and was planning to ramp up BCI production. [13]

At least their device can’t read your mind.

Meta

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta teamed with the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language. In February 2025, they made a “breakthrough” in mind reading technology that can decode unspoken sentences from a brain’s magnetic fields. Helmet-like MEG (magnetoencephalography) scanners are even more accurate than non-portable scanners. [14]

Oh great, technology to steal our thoughts. Criminals already use scanners to steal money from ATMs or information from cell phones. You could see a helmet-like scanner, but future scanners will likely be much smaller, so you won’t see them.

If a device that’s now in its rudimentary stage can decode unspoken sentences from a brain, will devices be coded to insert thoughts or false memories into your brain?

You can imagine the outcome of this.

Paradromics and Blackrock Neurotech

Paradromics and Blackrock Neurotech have developed brain chips that penetrate the cortex, similar to Neuralink’s device. Neuralink’s electrodes go a few millimeters into the cortex. Blackrock Neurotech has implanted dozens of people with its “Utah” array since 2004. [15]

Paradromics just announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Neom. [16]

Blackrock Neurotech has received funding from Peter Thiel (CEO of Palantir, a data mining company). [17] This makes me wonder if Thiel will ever mine data straight from the brain.

It seems like everyone is getting in on a piece of the pie to access the human brain, and our thoughts.

Brain-to-brain interface

Brain-to-brain interface (BBI) is like telepathy. It is the direct transfer of information between two brains without the need for traditional forms of communication (like talking). [18]

In 2019, scientists from the University of Washington invented the world’s first non-invasive brain-to-brain interface called BrainNet. They placed electrodes on the scalp, and combined electroencephalography (EEG), to record brain signals, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), to then deliver information to another brain. [19]

Researchers are currently developing Wireless BBI systems. [20]

I don’t know about you, but I’m not so sure I want to even listen to some people talk, much less have everyone else’s thoughts in my head.

Because the brain is complex, and this technology is so new, we can’t possibly fully understand all future implications.

Thus far, there have only been limited BCI trials with few participants. What will be the long-term effects of BCIs and BBIs?

Will there be any long-term adverse physical or psychological reactions?

Will some human bodies “reject” BCIs, just like some people “reject” organ transplants?

Will we have any privacy in the future?

What we do know is that the brain is what separates humans from machines.

While brain chips will help people with physical limitations control prosthetics or external objects, will brain chip technology ultimately control all humans?

Next week: Brain Chips Merging Humans with AI (Part 2) Military & Commercial Uses

Find links to all past AI Endgame newsletters HERE.

What you can do:

Some states are responding to the rapid advancement in neurotechnology that could potentially exploit mental data for profit. Last year, Colorado’s governor passed a pioneering law to protect personal brainwave data. Please ask your governor and state representatives to pass a similar law.

Support (and if you can, make donations) to organizations fighting for AI Safety:

Pause AI

https://pauseai.info/

Center for Humane Technology

https://www.humanetech.com/who-we-are

Center for Democracy and Technology

https://cdt.org/

[1] https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-computer-interface-9dbc92206389f27fd032825cf1597ee5

[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3497935/

[3] https://fpf.org/blog/brain-computer-interfaces-privacy-and-ethical-considerations-for-the-connected-mind/

[4] https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=brain%20computer%20interface&aggFilters=status:not%20rec%20act&viewType=Table

[5] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/13/elon-musk-humans-merge-machines-cyborg-artificial-intelligence-robots.html