--- title: "Elon Musk Says Upcoming Version of Neuralink is “Awesome”" description: "Elon Musk revealed that his secretive brain-computer interface startup Neuralink is working on an \"awesome\" new version of the company's prototype." date: "2020-02-04" modified: "2020-02-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-upcoming-version-neuralink-awesome" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "brain computer interface" - "elon musk" - "neuralink" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says Upcoming Version of Neuralink is “Awesome” ![Elon Musk revealed that his secretive brain-computer interface startup Neuralink is working on an "awesome" new version of the company's prototype.]() *\Image: Neuralink\* ## Awesome Elon Musk [teased on Twitter]() this weekend that his secretive brain-computer interface startup [Neuralink]() is working on an "awesome" new version of the company's [signature device](). In July of last year, Neuralink [showed off]() plans to connect the human brain to machines — by shooting holes in the skull with lasers and feeding flexible threads of electrodes into the brain. ## Utah Array In a tweet, Musk [claimed]() that Neuralink may have its updated version "in a human as soon as this year." He said it "just needs to be unequivocally better than Utah Array," which is an existing neural interface designed to record neural activity in the brain. Musk [pointed out]() that such an array has some "severe drawbacks" and [claimed]() that "it looks like a medieval torture device" — perhaps referring to its spiky nature and the way it is inserted into the brain via a "[pneumatic inserter]()." ## Disease Solver Musk bragged in [November podcast appearance]() that future versions of Neuralink might be able to "solve" autism and schizophrenia by reinstating lost portions of the brain and making them functional again. We have yet to see what Neuralink's updated vision looks like — or if the concept even works at all — but Musk is optimistic. "Don’t want to get too excited, but the potential is truly transformational for restoring brain \[and\] motor functions," Musk [wrote]() in a tweet on Monday. **READ MORE:** [Neuralink: Elon Musk teases 'awesome' advancements may be detailed soon]() \[*Inverse*\] **More on Neuralink:** *[Elon Musk Claims Neuralink Can “Solve” Autism, Schizophrenia]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()