Neuralink's Blindsight nears readiness

Elon Musk stated that Neuralink's Blindsight implant, designed to restore a form of vision, has reached a technically ready stage and is awaiting regulatory approval. The company's website mentions future human trials for the device. According to Musk, the implant should allow blind individuals to see, including those who have never seen before.

How Blindsight works

Blindsight works by bypassing damaged eyes or optic nerves. A camera films the environment, and the device transmits the information to an implant that stimulates the brain regions involved in vision. The goal is not to repair the eyes but to produce visual perceptions directly through the brain.

FDA designation and regulatory status

Neuralink had previously announced that Blindsight received the "Breakthrough Device" designation from the FDA in September 2024, which facilitates development and accelerates the examination of certain devices intended to meet important medical needs. This status does not constitute a marketing authorization and does not exempt the device from demonstrating its safety and effectiveness.

Uncertainty about trials and capabilities

Musk did not specify which approval Neuralink is waiting for or when the first human trials could begin. The company's page dedicated to Blindsight still presents these trials as a future step. It remains to be determined what the implanted individuals will actually be able to perceive. Detecting an obstacle, recognizing an object, or distinguishing a face represent very different capabilities.

Telepathy in use by paralyzed individuals

Telepathy, Neuralink's first product, is already being tested by paralyzed individuals to control a computer. In March 2024, Neuralink demonstrated its first participant, Noland Arbaugh, playing chess with his mind and spending several hours on the video game Civilization VI through his implant.

How Telepathy translates thought into action

The device is based on a brain-machine interface: the participant imagines moving his hand, and the implant records the brain signals associated with it, with software translating them into cursor movement or a click. This allows the participant to use a computer without using his hands.

VOICE study advances speech-to-text communication

Neuralink is also working on the VOICE study, which aims to transform brain signals associated with speech into text or synthetic voice, without the need to compose sentences using a cursor. According to the company, a participant achieved 75 words per minute during his first week, with an error rate of 5.8% on the words.

Experimental features in the VOICE study

On October 29, Neuralink presented several experimental features developed with a participant in this study. One automatically detects when the person is trying to speak, and another transmits the generated voice directly into an iPhone call, allowing the interlocutor to hear it on the phone. These trials already allow participants to communicate in a way other than through a keyboard. Whether they will one day be able to do it faster than speaking remains to be seen.