---
title: "Elon Musk Claims Neuralink Can “Solve” Autism, Schizophrenia"
description: "Elon Musk recently claimed that Neuralink tech would be able to \"solve\" autism and schizophrenia. But autism isn't a brain disease that needs to be solved."
date: "2019-11-14"
modified: "2019-11-14"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/elon-musk-neuralink-solve-autism-schizophrenia"
categories:
  - "Brain"
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Neuroscience and Brain"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "health"
  - "neuralink"
---

# Elon Musk Claims Neuralink Can “Solve” Autism, Schizophrenia

![Elon Musk recently claimed that Neuralink tech would be able to "cure" autism, along with schizophrenia. But autism isn't a brain disease that needs a cure.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/elon-musk-claims-neuralink-solve-autism-schizophrenia.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Neuralink\</em\>*

On a [recent podcast appearance](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smK9dgdTl40&feature=youtu.be>), Neuralink CEO Elon Musk claimed that the company's experimental [brain-computer interface](<https://futurism.com/elon-musk-brain-computer-interface-coming-soon>) technology would be able to "solve" neurological diseases.

In the past, Musk has [suggested](<https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-neuralink-implants-link-brains-to-internet-next-year-2019-7>) that Neuralink could help with serious conditions like Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, but now he's added a bizarre new example to the list: autism spectrum disorder.

"So Neuralink, I think at first will solve a lot of brain-related diseases," Musk said on the "Artificial Intelligence" podcast with Lex Fridman. "So could be anything from like autism, schizophrenia, memory loss — like everyone experiences memory loss at certain points in age. Parents can't remember their kids' names and that kind of thing."

As *[Business Insider ](<https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-said-neuralink-could-solve-autism-and-schizophrenia-2019-11>)*[reports](<https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-said-neuralink-could-solve-autism-and-schizophrenia-2019-11>), autism is considered a developmental disorder, not a brain disease that can or necessarily [should be "cured."](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/autism-rates-rising>)

But because Musk didn't elaborate, it's not clear whether he misunderstands what autism is or whether he was merely rattling off a list of well-known conditions to advocate for [Neuralink's future capabilities](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/people-begging-elon-musk-skull>).

While schizophrenia can be a debilitating mental condition, autism is more tightly linked to a sense of identity — and listing it as a disease to be solved as Musk did risks further stigmatizing a community pushing for [better treatment and representation](<https://futurism.com/deep-pressure-transform-lives-autism>).

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)