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Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain-machine interface is turning sci-fi into reality
Besides giving the world the option to switch to Tesla emissions-free electric cars and hopes of sending humans to Mars and beyond, Elon Musk also dreams of giving humans symbiosis with artificial intelligence through an implantable brain-machine interface created by Neuralink, a company he founded in 2016.
Neuralink is working on improving the basic structures of high-density Utah Array, a tiny chip that has become the industry benchmark for recording large populations of neurons. Dr. Richard Norman from the University of Utah invented the chip in 1997, which acts as an ultra-thin, flexible, and biocompatible polymer that connects the human brain to a tiny chip. During an event last year, Neurallink explained that the implant can be placed behind the ear and can interpret brain signals. Musk’s neural tech company has also invented a robot that can sew the implant to the brain with better precision than any human surgeon.
Wait until you see the next version vs what was presented last year. It’s *awesome*.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2020
So far, the brain-machine interface by Neuralink has reportedly helped a primate communicate with a computer interface. There are plans to install a prototype this year into a human. According to Musk, they are still on track to do this.
“It will ultimately be used to make up for entire lost sections of the brain due to stroke/accident/congenital. Don’t want to get too excited, but the potential is truly transformational for restoring brain & motor functions. There is no other way to do it imo,” Musk also wrote on Twitter.
The possibilities for Neuralink’s implant are endless. The symbiosis between humans and AI will be a long shot but Neuralink’s implantable device can pave the way for medical advancements that can help people with chronic neurological problems. Possible medical uses for Neuralink’s device in the future include controlling devices, restoring sensation, and synthetic speech.
CONTROLLING DEVICES
The brain is a complex network of nerves that uses impulses to sense the outside world and to control the human body. Neuralink will use these signals and amplify them so a patient can use them to be more functional. For example, someone with paralyzed upper extremity due to a stroke can have a brain-machine interface on the center of the brain that controls movements of the arm and hands which will help patients feed, dress, and generally function on their own.
Likewise, for someone who has an amputated limb, the Neuralink brain-machine interface will be able to communicate with a robotic arm to help someone use an artificial hand to write or use a computer. It can also be perfect for someone who needs to control a robotic leg to prop one up to stand without the help of anyone.
With a smart home setup, a paralyzed person who cannot clearly or is unable to speak and move can simply command a computer to dim the lights, turn on the air conditioner, or call someone if they need urgent attention.
While it might be a very long shot, these brain-machine interfaces interacting with other future technologies can also serve as bridges to parts of the body that are medically “disconnected”. For example, a patient with spinal cord injury has severed connections between the brain and parts of their body corresponding to the level their spinal cord was injured. The Neuralink implant can play pseudo stem cells that will provide the artificial connection so one can better function. Same for someone with multiple sclerosis whose nerves basically lose the sheath that makes them transmit electrical signals optimally.
“RESTORE” SENSATION
Just like how Neuralink can be exploited to help the brain control movement of a robotic arm, it is highly possible to tap into the sensory cortex of the brain. Sensation allows better manipulation of one’s environment and should be very helpful even when using robotic arms. One can tap the signals of the brain, send it to the brain-machine implant and to the robotic hand, for example, and back. If one grabs a glass of water, it can easily control the movement through space because the patient knows its shape, weight, texture, temperature, among other factors.
The Neuralink team also aims to use the brain-machine interface to “give back” one’s vision by tapping into the visual center of the brain.
SYNTHETIC SPEECH
With its ability to tap into specific signals of the brain, Neuralink also has the potential to create synthetic speech for people who are paralyzed or those with neurological conditions that do not allow them to speak.
These are just some of the things we can see Neuralink will be used for in the future. While all these seem to be fantastical, according to Neuralink, what they’re doing is not pulled from thin air but based on decades of neurological foundation.
Ultimately, with the dream of human-AI symbiosis, as more technologies develop, the use for Neuralink’s brain-machine implant will evolve. Elon Musk mentioned before that perhaps one day, it will be used for telepathic communication between humans or perhaps even drive a Tesla. Or perhaps, in the future, one can upgrade one’s knowledge and download terabytes of information with a blink of an eye through Starlink.
Tesla has given its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent, as a new feature seems to show that the company is preparing for frequent border crossings.
Tesla owner and influencer BLKMDL3, also known as Zack, recently took his Tesla to the border of California and Mexico at Tijuana, and at the international crossing, Full Self-Driving showed an interesting message: “Upcoming country border — FSD (Supervised) will become unavailable.”
FSD now shows a new message when approaching an international border crossing.
Stayed engaged the whole way as we crossed the border and worked great in Mexico! pic.twitter.com/bDzyLnyq0g
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) January 26, 2026
Due to regulatory approvals, once a Tesla operating on Full Self-Driving enters a new country, it is required to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to that territory. Even if legal, it seems Tesla will shut off FSD temporarily, confirming it is in a location where operation is approved.
This is something that will be extremely important in Europe, as crossing borders there is like crossing states in the U.S.; it’s pretty frequent compared to life in America, Canada, and Mexico.
Tesla has been working to get FSD approved in Europe for several years, and it has been getting close to being able to offer it to owners on the continent. However, it is still working through a lot of the red tape that is necessary for European regulators to approve use of the system on their continent.
This feature seems to be one that would be extremely useful in Europe, considering the fact that crossing borders into other countries is much more frequent than here in the U.S., and would cater to an area where approvals would differ.
Tesla has been testing FSD in Spain, France, England, and other European countries, and plans to continue expanding this effort. European owners have been fighting for a very long time to utilize the functionality, but the red tape has been the biggest bottleneck in the process.
Tesla Europe builds momentum with expanding FSD demos and regional launches
Tesla operates Full Self-Driving in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
The first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX’s next Starship launch, Flight 12, is expected in about six weeks. This suggests that the first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
In a post on X, Elon Musk stated that the next Starship launch is in six weeks. He accompanied his announcement with a photo that seemed to have been taken when Starship’s upper stage was just about to separate from the Super Heavy Booster. Musk did not state whether SpaceX will attempt to catch the Super Heavy Booster during the upcoming flight.
The upcoming flight will mark the debut of Starship V3. The upgraded design includes the new Raptor V3 engine, which is expected to have nearly twice the thrust of the original Raptor 1, at a fraction of the cost and with significantly reduced weight. The Starship V3 platform is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability.
The Starship V3 Flight 12 launch timeline comes as SpaceX pursues an aggressive development cadence for the fully reusable launch system. Previous iterations of Starship have racked up a mixed but notable string of test flights, including multiple integrated flight tests in 2025.
Interestingly enough, SpaceX has teased an aggressive timeframe for Starship V3’s first flight. Way back in late November, SpaceX noted on X that it will be aiming to launch Starship V3’s maiden flight in the first quarter of 2026. This was despite setbacks like a structural anomaly on the first V3 booster during ground testing.
“Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X.
News
Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
Tesla has rolled out a new insurance subsidy for Model 3 buyers in China, adding another incentive as the automaker steps up promotions in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
A limited-time subsidy
The insurance subsidy, which was announced by Tesla China on Weibo, applies to the Model 3 RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD variants. Tesla stated that the offer is available to buyers who complete their purchase on or before February 28, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The starting prices for these variants are RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500, respectively.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance, which starts at RMB 339,500, is excluded from the subsidy. The company has previously used insurance incentives at the beginning of the year to address softer seasonal demand in China’s auto market. The program is typically phased out as sales conditions stabilize over the year.
China’s electric vehicle market
The insurance subsidy followed Tesla’s launch of a 7-year low-interest financing plan in China on January 6, which is aimed at improving vehicle affordability amid changing policy conditions. After Tesla introduced the financing program, several automakers, such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Voyah, introduced similar long-term financing options.
China’s electric vehicle market has faced additional headwinds entering 2026. Buyers of new energy vehicles are now subject to a 5% purchase tax, compared with the previous full exemption. At the same time, vehicle trade-in subsidies in several cities are expected to expire in mid-November.
Tesla’s overall sales in China declined in 2025, with deliveries totaling 625,698 vehicles, down 4.78% year-over-year. Model 3 deliveries increased 13.33% to 200,361 units, while Model Y deliveries, which were hampered by the changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter, fell 11.45% to 425,337 units.
Tesla gives its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
