Would you let Elon Musk install a brain chip?

Musk's brain-implant company Neuralink last week received approval to conduct its first clinical trials. [Reuters]

The expense of brain-machine links may restrict access to just the wealthy. "Super-thinkers" may rise to dominance over less intelligent people.

This is unlikely to happen. A permanent brain-computer link for $100 million may seem appealing, but the dangers and side effects must be considered. Even the most daring are wary of neurological harm. Thus, rejecting such an offer is understandable. The user must control the computer, not the other way around.

Additionally, technology, especially artificial intelligence, may improve cognitive ability. Some people can digest concepts faster than they can speak or type, but is there a need to rush? Perhaps taking time to think before speaking helps improve communication. Typing on a mobile device, like a teenager, is essential.

Direct brain-computer contact raises the intriguing prospect of computers rapidly transferring knowledge to human brains. Imagine sleeping, activating your cognitive gadget, and waking up fluent in Chinese. Computers controlling our minds are interesting. However, such a skill might lead to many unfavorable results.

The idea of using one's thoughts to affect physical things sounds far-fetched. Current technology can read brain impulses but not regulate them. Experts are exploring this problem since controlling brain signals might have huge advantages. We must continue to study brain signals to comprehend the human brain until additional advances are achieved.

Computer owners may buy human brains as they buy cloud space. Software cannot identify indecent words or images, as is well known. In this case, low-wage workers dominate the networked brains. Social media companies to analyze output or help with content decisions OpenAI hired Kenyan workers for less than $2 per hour.

Such investments may boost salaries. Critics may worry about subtle but considerable social inequality. Technology users and non-users would divide this group.

One can ask whether higher-paid people would connect to the machine. Spies and business negotiators benefit from real-time digital intelligence in today's fast-paced environment. Making key judgments with real-time data is invaluable.

Elon Musk waves while providing an update on Starship, on Feb. 10, 2022, near Brownsville, Texas. [AP photo]

Wouldn't this be useful for these fields? Brain-computer interfaces in professional sports are controversial. Some say such technology might offer sportsmen an unfair edge, while others say it could change sports and improve the experience for players and viewers. Brain-computer connections in professional sports will certainly rely on safety, ethics, and game integrity. These technologies may help baseball players decide whether to swing or not.

Neuralink's Effects on Humans: Pros and Cons of Presence Secure

Neuralink may cause infections and inflammation in the brain if it is implanted improperly, which may raise the chance of acquiring Alzheimer's disease in the future. Neuralink's potential for misuse by those looking to exert control over or steal information from others is yet another drawback.

Every innovation has benefits and drawbacks. Electrical and technological systems are often more vulnerable to hacking and failure. Although I enjoy the concept of a brain chip, I'm not convinced its use will be beneficial. The government may follow its citizens via smartphone and other programs even without placing anything in their bodies.

The human brain is the most important organ. It is in charge of everything we do. When a brain chip interferes with the brain's normal activities, it might become overworked or experience other problems. If a brain chip were to be created, it would be useless since the spinal cord already serves that function.

When a large number of people use brain chips, they are not beneficial for a population or even a country. That hostile nation might pressure them into killing one another for their own benefit.

This sort of potential is really well shown in the film. Kingman's Golden Circle illustrates the scenario that may occur if a chip were to regulate human behavior. For the person who controls the chip, every individual may simply be a toy.

Surjit Singh Flora is a veteran journalist and freelance writer based in Brampton Canada