Investors' Wild Gamble on Transhumanism Stalls Neurotech Progress
The latest breakthroughs in neurotechnology have all but flown under the radar, as investors continue to pour billions into companies promising "mind-uploading" and other far-fetched innovations. The likes of Elon Musk and Sam Altman, with their fascination with uploading human consciousness to computers or merging with AI, are muddying the waters on what could be a revolutionary technology.
Marcello Ienca, a neuroethics professor at Munich's Technical University, says that these ventures are "distorting the debate" around neurotechnology. He fears that investors' preoccupation with science fiction is hijacking public perception of the potential for real-world treatments. Instead, researchers are working on medical devices to restore vision and hearing, treat neurodegenerative diseases, or address psychiatric disorders.
But it's not just the long-term implications that are causing concern. Even more immediate applications – such as consumer wearables like EEG earbuds or glasses with eye-tracking technology – are being shrouded in hype and uncertainty. Critics argue that these products have been overstated, with limited evidence to support their claims. Kristen Mathews, a lawyer specializing in mental privacy issues, warns that excessive regulation could stifle true innovation.
On the other hand, some neuroscientists see potential benefits from these technologies. Hervé Chneiweiss, who chaired a panel of experts advising UNESCO on global standards for neurotechnology, believes that devices like brain implants could revolutionize healthcare. However, even he acknowledges the need to separate science fiction from reality.
Neuralink's recent efforts to trademark "telepathy" are particularly galling to experts, who argue that such claims are unrealistic and misleading. Michael Hendricks, a neurobiology professor at McGill University, says that investors' focus on these outlandish applications is diverting attention away from genuinely groundbreaking work in the field.
As Hendricks notes, it's time for the tech industry to get its priorities straight. "We have so many ways to influence people through language and simple visual media," he says. "I don't think that [brain implants] would catch up for a long time."
The bottom line is that while neurotechnology holds immense promise, investors' fixation on transhumanism is holding back progress. As the industry moves forward, it's essential to separate science fiction from reality and focus on developing technologies that genuinely improve people's lives.
The latest breakthroughs in neurotechnology have all but flown under the radar, as investors continue to pour billions into companies promising "mind-uploading" and other far-fetched innovations. The likes of Elon Musk and Sam Altman, with their fascination with uploading human consciousness to computers or merging with AI, are muddying the waters on what could be a revolutionary technology.
Marcello Ienca, a neuroethics professor at Munich's Technical University, says that these ventures are "distorting the debate" around neurotechnology. He fears that investors' preoccupation with science fiction is hijacking public perception of the potential for real-world treatments. Instead, researchers are working on medical devices to restore vision and hearing, treat neurodegenerative diseases, or address psychiatric disorders.
But it's not just the long-term implications that are causing concern. Even more immediate applications – such as consumer wearables like EEG earbuds or glasses with eye-tracking technology – are being shrouded in hype and uncertainty. Critics argue that these products have been overstated, with limited evidence to support their claims. Kristen Mathews, a lawyer specializing in mental privacy issues, warns that excessive regulation could stifle true innovation.
On the other hand, some neuroscientists see potential benefits from these technologies. Hervé Chneiweiss, who chaired a panel of experts advising UNESCO on global standards for neurotechnology, believes that devices like brain implants could revolutionize healthcare. However, even he acknowledges the need to separate science fiction from reality.
Neuralink's recent efforts to trademark "telepathy" are particularly galling to experts, who argue that such claims are unrealistic and misleading. Michael Hendricks, a neurobiology professor at McGill University, says that investors' focus on these outlandish applications is diverting attention away from genuinely groundbreaking work in the field.
As Hendricks notes, it's time for the tech industry to get its priorities straight. "We have so many ways to influence people through language and simple visual media," he says. "I don't think that [brain implants] would catch up for a long time."
The bottom line is that while neurotechnology holds immense promise, investors' fixation on transhumanism is holding back progress. As the industry moves forward, it's essential to separate science fiction from reality and focus on developing technologies that genuinely improve people's lives.
I mean, have you ever stopped to think about why we're so drawn to this whole "uploading our consciousness" thing? Like, is it just a way for us to escape the uncertainty of the future or something? 
It feels like everyone's so caught up in these sci-fi dreams that they're forgetting what's actually happening in the lab. 
It's all about balance, right?
... meanwhile, real neurotech innovations are getting left behind 
like, what about treatments for actual diseases? or even just stuff that can help people hear again? it's all about the hype and money 
. Marcello Ienca makes a valid point, the hype around this stuff is distorting the conversation and preventing us from making progress on actual treatments for neurodegenerative diseases 
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. If we're going to create devices that can read our brains or implant new ones, we need to make sure we're doing it safely and responsibly 
. It's like they're trying to sell us a dream instead of working on reality 
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. Instead we get all this hype around "telepathy" 
. It's time for the tech industry to chill out and focus on making real progress 
They're like, $500 a pop! And don't even get me started on Elon's Neuralink 
. Telepathy is not going to happen anytime soon, fam 
. What really needs to happen is more investment in legit neurotech that can tackle real health issues, like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's 
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. We need to get back to basics and focus on making tangible progress, not chasing some far-fetched pipe dream. The industry needs to get its priorities straight and start valuing actual science over hype 
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. We need to prioritize people over profits 
. It's like they're trying to distract us from the actual progress being made in medical devices and treatments. And don't even get me started on Neuralink trademarking "telepathy" 
. It's just a huge marketing ploy. I mean, come on, we know what telepathy is – it's not something you can patent or claim to be working on.
. Not this fancy-schmancy "mind-uploading" nonsense. Can't we just stick to what we know works? 
. We should be focusing on actual medical breakthroughs that can improve people's lives, you know, the stuff that can restore vision or hearing for real 
. We need to separate the science from the fiction and focus on what can actually make a difference 
. Let's keep things grounded, shall we? 
. We got some amazin' stuff already happenin' in the field, let's not mess it up with all this flashy nonsense 
? This is just giving me so much anxiety 
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. Meanwhile, real researchers are working on stuff like prosthetic limbs and disease treatments – now those are things I want to see progress on 
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. But at the end of the day, we need substance over spectacle here. Let's get back on track with some real-world innovations that'll actually make a difference in people's lives 
We need to focus on what really matters: using neurotech to make people's lives better, not just chasing after some far-fetched dream 
... seriously? That's just lazy marketing 
. And what really gets my goat is that investors are holding back progress by chasing these wild goose chases 
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. Let's hope we can get back on track soon! 
meanwhile the real breakthroughs are happening in medical devices restoring vision and hearing etc but no one cares because everyone's too busy chasing Elon's crazy dreams 
. But have you seen Neuralink's trademark attempt for "telepathy"? 
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. Wake me up when we have real progress, not just more hype