[NJTechDiv] Microsoft's Bill Gates is backing this brain implant computing company.

[Mario Brusco]

Microsoft's Bill Gates is backing this brain implant computing company.
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/microsoft-co-founder-bill-gates-has-backed-brain-implant-computing-company-synchron

By Jez Corden, published February 19, 2023.

Are mind-controlled PCs the future? Maybe.

Ever wondered what it would be like to scroll reddit just by thinking 
it? Well, if you have, perhaps our old pal Billy G has something in the 
works for you.

Microsoft co-founder and prolific philanthropist Bill Gates has joined 
up with Amazon's Jeff Bezos according to reports to back Synchron, a 
company building brain implants to help further interface humans with 
computers.

Human-computer interfacing of today revolves around external 
peripherals, such as touch screens, Xbox controllers, keyboards, etc. 
But fear not, government-mandated brain implants are not (yet) in 
Synchron's purview. Instead, Synchron's technology revolves around 
improving accessibility, for those with limited or impaired mobility.

The report in CNBC describes how Synchron's "Switch"  technology is 
seamlessly implants via blood vessels, allowing patients to interact 
with their devices using their thoughts alone.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/18/synchron-backed-by-bezos-and-gates-tests-brain-computer-interface.html

The report says that so far only 7 patients across the United States and 
Australia have been testing out the tech, and thus far, the results seem 
to have been promising.

Synchron CEO Tom Oxley said, "I’ve seen moments between patient and 
partner, or patient and spouse, where it’s incredibly joyful and 
empowering to have regained an ability to be a little bit more 
independent than before. It helps them engage in ways that we take for 
granted."

Synchron brain interface tech

The "Stentrode" can be inserted via blood vessels, and doesn't require 
full blown neurosurgery to implement, according to Synchron.  (Image 
credit: Synchron)
Synchron just announced a $75 million dollar funding round that counts 
Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos venture firms among those offering early 
investment. Synchron has described its technology as more "scalable" 
than competitors like Neuralink, developed by Elon Musk's firm. 
Synchron's antenna can be fitted via a stent, which is a commonly-used 
surgical procedure fitted via arteries and veins.

Competing solutions often require the presence of a full-blown 
neurosurgeon, whereas Synchron's technology can be fitted with far more 
expertise that is far more available. The technology could be 
revolutionary for patients with ailments like ALS, or full-body 
paralysis, giving thousands of potential candidates a new lease on life.

The technology is subject to all sorts of conspiracy theories and 
controversy. Questions over Elon Musk's own Neuralink paint a dark 
picture of the science. Musk's Neuralink is being investigated for 
animal cruelty, owing to reports of test monkeys being subjected to 
"extreme suffering." However, on the Synchron side, respected medical 
journal JAMA Neurology recently approved the technology, noting that 
their methodology was entirely safe, and didn't degrade in quality after 
a 12-month period.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2799839

hile technology revolves around accessibility right now, it's not hard 
to imagine a future where it could become more commonplace. If it 
becomes more convenient as current solutions while remaining just as 
safe, it's not science fiction to imagine a world where able-bodied 
humans couldn't opt-in to this type of tech. That is, if you ignore some 
of the more dystopic science fiction.

Synchron Stentrode: Brain Computer Interface for Paralysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZlIL0iI1Sg

Stentrode brain computer interface online in first two human patients.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm95r05hui0

Brain Implants are Here: Blackrock's Neuroport & Synchron's Stentrode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4kDDrX-HpQ

The Future of Brain Machine Interfaces - Shivon Zilis, Project Director 
at Neuralink.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkUcCcRq_eM

This Brain Implant Could Change Lives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6oNoLWcDqw