There’s a whole school of thought that says that consciousness exists in the brain, and learning more about the brain will yield more insight into how it operates, but even cutting edge developments aren’t yet getting us any closer to its mysteries.
Neuralink’s 8th patient Nick Wray, who has had a brain-computer implant inserted into his brain which allows him to control computer devices without using his hands, has said that getting the implant hasn’t altered his view of consciousness. He says that using the implant is like using a device like a smartphone, and seems external to his own consciousness.
An X user asked Wray to describe how the Neuralink implant had changed his own view of consciousness. “Hey Nick, amazing to hear what you’re experiencing, this is a big glimpse into the future. curious though: has using the chip changed how you perceive your own consciousness? are you still “you”? do you think identity in the future could be partly defined by the tools we integrate into our minds?” they asked.
“Did using a smartphone for the first time change how you perceived yourself or did it only change your method of digital engagement?” Wray replied. “When you were suddenly sliding your fingers on a glass rectangle instead of using a radio or a camera or a phone or a calculator or a web browser, did you feel a fundamental shift in who you were? The method with which we interact with technology has nothing to do with who we are as individuals. People are photographers, but some use film, some use DSLR, some use mirrorless, and some go super old school with pinholes and tintype. Some of these photographic technologies are faster than others, but the photographer does not change based on their equipment,” he added.
Neuralink’s implant is a coin-sized chip with ultra-thin, flexible electrode threads that is robotically implanted into regions of the brain responsible for movement and intent. These threads contain hundreds to over a thousand electrodes, which detect the activity of individual neurons as the patient thinks about a movement or task. The neural signals are collected and processed by custom electronics in the implant, which uses machine learning algorithms to decode patterns associated with movement intent or communication. The decoded instructions are sent wirelessly (typically via Bluetooth) to a computer or smartphone application. The patient can then control a cursor, type, or interact with digital interfaces through their thoughts.
Elon Musk has previously said that technologies like Neuralink will help understand the nature of consciousness. “We don’t know what consciousness is. But with Neuralink and the progress that the company’s making, we’ll begin to understand a lot more about consciousness. And what does it mean “to be”,” he had added.
But at least the first iterations of Neuralink seem to provide no insights into what consciousness is. It’s likely that these few prototypes don’t go deep enough into the brain, or don’t have enough electrodes, but even going right into the brain and collecting your thoughts doesn’t seem to change the subjective conscious experience that humans have.