Leading neuroscientists are raising alarm that high-profile investors including Elon Musk and Sam Altman are setting back genuine neurotechnology progress with their fascination for far-fetched transhumanist ideas like brain uploading and telepathy.
The Real Neurotech Revolution Versus Science Fiction
While 2023 has seen remarkable advances in neurotechnology, experts argue that the public narrative is being distorted by wealthy tech magnates promoting what they call "dumb transhumanist ideas." Professor Michael Hendricks of McGill University didn't mince words, stating that "rich people who are fascinated with these dumb transhumanist ideas" are muddying public understanding of what's actually possible.
The concern centres around companies like Musk's Neuralink, which Professor Hendricks acknowledges is doing legitimate neuroscience technology development, but then gets overshadowed by Musk's claims about future telepathy capabilities.
Tangible Medical Breakthroughs Being Overshadowed
This year has delivered significant neurotech achievements that could transform medical treatment. In August, researchers successfully used a tiny brain implant to decode the inner speech of paralysis patients. October saw another breakthrough with an eye implant restoring sight to people who had lost their vision.
Professor Marcello Ienca from the Technical University of Munich explained that the long-term concern lies in the narratives being promoted by high-profile investors. "It's distorting the debate a lot," he said, pointing to the gap between realistic medical applications and science fiction aspirations.
The neurotechnology field is rapidly going mainstream, with most major US tech companies now involved. Google has neural mapping projects, Meta acquired Ctrl Labs, Apple is developing EEG headphones, and Sam Altman recently co-founded Merge Labs to compete with Neuralink.
The Three Real Categories of Neurotechnology
Experts distinguish between three distinct areas of neurotechnology development. First are medical devices like brain implants that help paralysis patients communicate or restore vision - these are tightly regulated and show genuine promise.
Second are consumer wearables including EEG earbuds and devices tracking eye movements. While these raise privacy concerns, their actual capabilities remain limited according to researchers.
Finally, there are the science-fiction applications like Neuralink's Telepathy trademark and brain-uploading startups that capture headlines but have little basis in current scientific reality.
Professor Hendricks was particularly dismissive of brain uploading concepts, stating that "biological systems are not like computers" and the idea stems from tech people who "think about computers too much." He added that if true brain uploading were possible, "I should be happy to just kill myself right now as long as someone tells me, like, oh, you're living in that metal box over there. But I don't think many people would take that bet."
Regulatory Risks and Real Dangers
The exaggerated claims pose concrete risks to medical progress, according to experts. Kristen Mathews, a lawyer specialising in mental privacy issues, warned that "sci-fi hype could trigger regulation that would hinder advances in technology" that could genuinely help patients.
Hervé Chneiweiss, a neuroscientist who recently chaired a Unesco expert panel on neurotechnology standards, called the transhumanist visions "completely unrealistic" and said they're "hiding the real questions" about neurotechnology's appropriate development and use.
While consumer neurotechnology devices do raise legitimate privacy concerns, Professor Hendricks noted that current brain monitoring technology produces data too noisy and unreliable to be effective for surveillance compared to the vast amounts of personal data tech companies already collect through conventional means.
The scientific community's message is clear: neurotechnology holds incredible promise for treating neurological conditions, but that promise is being threatened by unrealistic expectations set by investors more interested in science fiction than scientific reality.
