Elon Musk is going to implant chips in people’s heads – cool? Remember how it worked in games

The era of cyberpunk is advancing rapidly: the Earth’s resources are running out, the largest corporations are gaining more power and are already dictating their terms, social inequality is increasing every year. So the company Elon Musk (Elon Musk) and Max Hodak (Max Hodak) Neuralink will also soon start testing neurochips on humans. We’ve talked about the latest announcement in more detail in our News.

And for the purpose of this article, we decided to recall video games in which neurochips are already actively used: how they improved everyday life, what skills can be obtained, whether it is worth chipping if the tests of the brain apparatus to be successful. Now let’s discuss all this.

Thinking of the games where neurochips have become a daily routine is, of course, the first thing that comes to mind Cyberpunk 2077. In the fictional world of Mike Pondsmith, the neurotechnological revolution came at the end of the twentieth century. Eighty years later, society can no longer imagine life without artificially heightened senses, enhanced memory and painkillers. People in puberty are given a special system for fast reading of chips such as SD cards. Therefore, it is enough for them to put a piece of programmed iron in their sleep to master a complex skill in a split second, and then just as quickly remove it and forget about everything.

In most cases, the neurochips in Cyberpunk 2077 operate on the principle of USB storage media. Citizens no longer need to use laptops and smartphones to view information. Insert the chip and the data is loaded directly into the neural network connected to the brain. The built-in operating system allows people to make calls, make purchases and transfer money. Overall, neuroimplants in Cyberpunk 2077 are cool and worth having.

The development of neurotechnologies and new methods of influencing the level of brain plasticity can give a person even more opportunities, but with them not the most pleasant consequences. Scientists in the Cyberpunk universe have been trying for years to make a breakthrough in the management of dopaminergic data. On the one hand, the proliferation of artificial neurotransmitters among the population will revolutionize medicine, but on the other hand, it will allow government and corporations to influence people’s minds.

It’s also worth remembering the chip with Johnny Silverhand’s digitized personality. In fact, the method of preserving the soul can be implemented in the near future. Using neural networks, scientists have learned to copy the personality and behavior of long-dead people. Now imagine that a person who has left earthly life can return in digital form – all you have to do is put a chip in your brain.

In the games of the series Deus Ex neurochips work on a similar principle as in Cyberpunk 2077. The only difference is the scale of chipping in society and more mundane cyber skills. Brain augmentation allowed people to get the functionality of a smartphone in their own head. Humans have the ability to communicate with the power of thought, read the news, surf the Internet and listen to music.

Particularly advanced implantation allows people to control hormones, improve reflexes and senses. They help people find a common language, have fun at any time of the day and improve concentration in work processes. It seems that a simple operation gives a person superpowers that were previously only available to the elite.

Deus Ex paints a more down-to-earth take on the chip that will likely be available in the near future. You can’t read minds, learn languages ​​in a second and become a prodigy overnight. But science does not stand still.

Virtual chastity helmets have long ceased to be the subject of fantasy. Everyone has the opportunity to buy and try such a joke. Major drawbacks of the helmet so far are the lack of normal autonomy, binding to a specific device, low resolution and lack of realistic interaction with the environment. Now imagine virtual reality being turned on with the snap of a finger in your head. No bulky helmets – full immersion and a matrix indistinguishable from reality.

In trilogy Shadowrun neurochip gives a person the ability to access the internet in the form of cyberspace. The well-known Wikipedia looks like an ordinary library, and all the necessary information is stored in books on its shelves. Is such a function possible in reality? We think it is possible. In addition to making chips, Elon Musk’s company is involved in Starlink satellites, which provide access to high-speed broadband internet via satellite from almost anywhere in the world. It is very likely that in the near future, neurochips will be able to connect to satellites and display images of Internet pages on the retina. In addition, the neural implant can create a virtual reality in your brain.

In a video game Observers can connect to someone’s neuroport and dive into their thoughts. The likelihood of such functionality appearing in the near future is unlikely. The human mind is quite specific. Scientists still can’t decipher it. But to dig into your documents, files, archives and other data stored on your implant, law enforcement and Neuralink scientists will succeed. There are no guarantees that the neurochip will not be checked by scientists. Privacy laws for such devices have yet to be written.

Biochipping (not to be confused with conventional chipping) offers another, no less important functionality. In the Deus Ex universe, this type of implant allows the brain to control cybernetic augmentations and interact with the biological nervous system. Iron limbs are no longer a novelty in our society, but they still don’t offer the opportunities we see in science fiction. The lack of a permanent power source and the brain’s barely perceptible electrical impulses prevent real scientists from developing implants that are indistinguishable from living limbs. In Deus Ex, the biochip eliminates many problems and helps the brain perceive new arms and legs as organic. Scientists should take note of the method invented by the writers of the game and create a similar device in reality.

Chipovka enters Syndicate and Observer gives people with a physical disability more opportunities than before the operation. Paralyzed people can control computers and smart homes with their minds. And the thoughts themselves are recorded on an external medium and anyone without third-party gadgets can hear them – just stick someone else’s chip in their head.

In Deus Ex and Cyberpunk 2077, neurochips record medical data and help paramedics quickly make the correct diagnosis. They can also warn of a malfunction in the body and call an ambulance in case of a critical situation. In reality, Chipovka will help scientists understand the nature of oncological diseases and find ways to eradicate this disease. And no analyzes and tests: the doctor simply removes your chip and then transfers the biological data to the medical file.

Neurochips in Shadowrun and Deus Ex help people with mental problems. The glands regulate the flow of hormones and block negative thoughts. Chipovka will help people avoid depression and be cheerful even in hopeless situations.

The appearance of neuroimplants in everyday life is most likely inevitable. Film and video game writers have already shown us their potential in a positive way. Just imagine what horizons could open up for humanity if the Neuralink tests are successful. The recruitment of volunteers for testing will begin very soon, and we may have time to experience the heyday of the real cyberpunk era.