The promise is to return autonomy through thought.
2026 may mark the moment when brain-computer interfaces stop being science fiction or simple laboratory experiments and become part of medicine and perhaps the future of humanity itself. Elon Musk's goal with his Neuralink is to ensure that implanting a chip in the brain stops being a rare procedure and becomes something almost industrial, a path that the billionaire intends to follow starting this year.
In a recent post on Platform X, Musk stated that Neuralink will go into large-scale production of its brain implants and that the surgical process will be fully automated, that is, no human surgeons touching the patient's brain, only robots will do that work.
The goal is to reduce risks, increase precision and allow many more people to have access to brain-computer interface technology, Neuralink develops implants capable of directly connecting the human brain to computers with an initial focus on patients with severe paralysis or spinal cord injuries.
The company's first patients have already shown concrete results.
Using only brain signals, they are able to play video games, surf the Internet, post on social networks and control the cursor of a laptop, all without moving the body. Neuralink began clinical trials in humans in 2024. In September, the company confirmed that two people with severe paralysis have already received the implant and are using the technology to control digital tools, even physical devices, with their minds alone.
With automated surgeries, mass production and increasingly sophisticated implants, Neuralink makes it clear that it is not only thinking about specific medical treatments, but about a new cognitive infrastructure, one in which brain, machine and software operate as a single system.
The expansion is not only technical, but also financial, because in June, Neuralink raised $650 million in a new investment round, reinforcing investor confidence in the potential of the technology. This move is part of another Musk plan that includes big bets on artificial intelligence, space exploration, transportation and cognitive technologies.
