“We want to be extremely careful and certain that it will work well before putting a device into a human but we’ve submitted, I think most of our paperwork to the FDA, and we think probably in about six months, we should be able to have our first Neuralink in a human,” said Musk. Neuralink is developing brain chip interfaces that can help to restore a person’s vision, even in those who were born blind. These chips can restore “full body functionality”, including movement and verbal communication, for people with severed spinal cords, reported CNBC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is yet to approve Neuralink to start human trials, unlike its competitor Synchron. But Musk says the company expects approval soon, as they have submitted most of the required paperwork to the FDA. Synchron is one of the major competitors to Neuralink and has already achieved commercial success. The company successfully implanted a small stent-like device into the brains of patients in Australia and the US. The implant has made it possible for patients who could not move or speak to communicate wirelessly via computers and their thoughts.

Co-founded by Musk in 2016, Neuralink is a neural interface technology company which builds implants that can record brain activity and stimulate it. Its brain-computer interface, or BCI, will allow users to control a computer or mobile device wirelessly “just by thinking about it,” according to the company’s website. Currently, the company is focused on serving people with paralysis and other neurological disorders. But Musk said he also wants to “achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence” and possibly enable telepathic communication with the device.