Last November, Bradford G. Smith became one of the first patients to receive a brain implant from Neuralink, Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company. The device, consisting of thin wires connected to a minuscule computer inside his skull, now allows Smith to control a computer cursor using only his thoughts. Smith recently shared his experiences publicly, highlighting the profound effect the technology has had on his communication abilities.
What makes Smith´s case extraordinary is the integration of Grok, Musk’s generative Artificial Intelligence chatbot, which accelerates and facilitates Smith’s ability to interact and express himself. The pairing of the neural implant with generative Artificial Intelligence dramatically speeds up Smith’s communication rate. However, this breakthrough introduces complex questions regarding agency and authenticity—experts and observers wonder to what extent the words generated are Smith’s own or interpretations produced by the Artificial Intelligence assistant.
The newsletter also covers a spectrum of technology news: the Trump administration’s tariffs threatening the battery and electric vehicle industries, the phasing out of the Energy Star program, the US Department of Justice pressuring Google to divest its ad businesses, and OpenAI’s revenue restructuring with Microsoft. Additional stories include the proliferation of harmful uses for text-to-image Artificial Intelligence models, Starlink’s rapid ascendance in satellite technology, and Amazon’s advancements in robotics. Finally, there’s a focus on the burgeoning field of organ-on-chip technology, which may one day replace animal testing in medical research by offering more accurate models of human physiology.
