Elon Musk’s Neuralink closes a $650M Series E
TechCrunchMAY 31
Neuralink Raises $650M as Brain Implant Trials Expand
Above: A portrait picture of Elon Musk that was photographed in Krakow, Poland, on Jan. 22, 2024, with the Neuralink logo screened on a mobile phone for illustration. Image copyright: Beata Zawrzel/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Spin
Techno-optimist narrative
Even before this round of funding, Neuralink was making history by helping paralyzed patients use computers with their brains. If funding and research continue, and Musk's predictions are true, thousands of patients could have these implants within just a few years. And even if it takes longer, Neuralink technology is still well on its way to changing the lives of countless neurologically disabled individuals.
Techno-skeptic narrative
While no one wishes to stop patients from accessing life-changing medical treatment, there are dangerous aspects to this technology that must be discussed. The goal of brain chips like Neuralink is to read minds, which can be great in some ways but also terrifying when billionaire oligarchs are the ones with access to everyone's thoughts. Strict safeguards must be implemented before technocrats gain too much control.