---
title: "Elon Musk: To Survive The Age of Artificial Intelligence, Humanity Must “Achieve Symbiosis With Machines”"
description: "Progressive Billionaire Elon Musk has yet another innovation that he believes is crucial to humanity's existence. This time, it's not about space shuttles or fast eco-friendly cars, but our minds. The neural lace is the next step in our evolution to beat our AI counterparts."
date: "2016-06-09"
modified: "2016-06-09"
authors:
  - name: "Neil C. Bhavsar"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/neilbhavsar"
url: "https://futurism.com/neural-lace-what-humanity-needs-to-survive-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence"
categories:
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "Cognition"
  - "elon musk"
  - "neuroscience"
---

# Elon Musk: To Survive The Age of Artificial Intelligence, Humanity Must “Achieve Symbiosis With Machines”

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ai_0.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Getty\</em\>*

**Bring in the A.I.**

Artificial Intelligence is a game-changing technology that echoed in our pop culture for years before we thought it was attainable. However, today, it is a lot more than just pop culture sci-fi. Now that we are on the cusp of a reality where [we may one day come face to face](<https://futurism.com/images/the-dawn-of-the-singularity>) with our AI counterparts, the world's greatest minds are planning for such an [eventuality](<https://www.inverse.com/article/16559-elon-musk-thinks-a-i-will-take-over-but-neural-lace-will-save-humanity?utm_source=facebook>).

This is where billionaire inventor and engineer Elon Musk steps in.

According to him (and [many other experts](<http://www.livescience.com/48972-stephen-hawking-artificial-intelligence-threat.html>)), an era of Artificial Intelligence could quite possibly spell the end times for humanity. Artificial Intelligence is predicted to outpace [humanity at an unprecedented rate](<http://huddle.today/ai-coming-us/>), having them look at us adoringly as house pets *at best* or just doing away with us *at worst*. These predictions have pushed Musk to suggest something daringly unconventional and almost controversial: [The neural lace.](<http://gizmodo.com/scientists-just-invented-the-neural-lace-1711540938>)

Creating a neural lace is the thing that really matters for humanity to achieve symbiosis with machines

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) [June 4, 2016](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/739006012749799424>)

The neural lace is a device that is intended to grow with your brain. Its major purpose is to optimize mental output through a brain-computer interface, effortlessly accessing the internet just through singular thoughts.

Musk explaining the neural lace at the 2016 Code Conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrGPuUQsDjo

## So How Does This Save Humanity From Killer Robots?

Ironically, by becoming one with A.I.

By placing the neural lace as a layer above our brains, the playing field becomes even. While the computing powers of A.I. is expected to surpass that of humans [greatly](<http://huddle.today/ai-coming-us/>), the neural lace is expected to push our cognitive performance levels to one that is comparable to that of A.I. But all of this contingent on how society perceives placing a mesh covering atop of their cortex.

While many fear invasive surgery that would require their heads to be split open, there is another, slightly less intimate alternative: [injections](<http://www.nature.com/news/injectable-brain-implant-spies-on-individual-neurons-1.17713>). Trials with wired neural mesh have already gone underway on mice, confirming that a syringe is a potentially viable mode of implantation. However, we are *years* away from anything close to what Musk was suggesting.

But here's to waiting long hours at the doctor's office sometime down the line for that neural lace.

## Author
Science today, science tomorrow, science forever.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/Neilogen>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-c-bhavsar-033225118>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/Neilcogen>)