Achintya Pothireddy

Exploring Neuralink’s effects on Society

Started June 29, 2023

Abstract or project description

Neuralink is a biotech company founded by Elon Musk, which is currently developing a brain implant named "The Link". The device's ability to monitor and interfere with an individual's brain data and respond accordingly will advance medicine for people who have the device implanted (Becher, 2023). However, the device's future capabilities raise concerns. The device's potential for human enhancement could be detrimental to education and employment if everyone does not have access to it. Neuralink's plans to make this technology accessible to everyone will help many people improve their health conditions, but the device could still create disparities in competitive spaces over time. Moreover, privacy concerns are still a significant issue. Monitoring a person's brain data comes with many ethical issues, and ownership of user-sensitive brain data has yet to be established. Nevertheless, Neuralink's technology can be integrated into society while respecting user privacy and the fairness of competitive environments by letting users choose if and when their brain data is monitored and restricting the implant for medical purposes only. In the future, these actions would alleviate concerns about education and employment.