ELON MUSK UNVEILS PLAN TO RESTORE SIGHT IN THE BLIND BY 2025!

Elon Musk – Helping blind people restore their vision is Neuralink’s next ambition – (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Elon Musk has just announced plans to implant Blindsight nerve chips to help blind people see light in the UAE by the end of 2025. Neuralink’s technology opens up new hope for millions of visually impaired people, although there are still many controversies about biomedical safety and ethics.

Ambition to revive vision with Neuralink technology

At the Qatar Economic Forum on May 20, tech billionaire Elon Musk suddenly revealed plans to implant Blindsight nerve chips for completely blind patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is expected to be implemented by the end of 2025 or early 2026. This is considered a bold step for Neuralink – the neurotechnology company founded by Musk – in the journey to make science fiction a reality.

Blindsight is a brain implant device capable of transmitting images directly into the visual cortex – the brain’s image processing center – without the need for the optic nerve or eyeball. This opens up unprecedented opportunities for people who are completely blind, even in the case of the loss of both eyes.

“Elon Musk believes that even people who are born blind can see again if the visual brain area is intact,” he once said at Neuralink’s technology event in 2022.

Strategic Cooperation with the Middle East

The first chip transplant will be performed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Hospital – one of the most advanced medical facilities in the Middle East. According to Musk, the device has been successfully tested on animals and has shown stable performance for many years.

In September 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially recognized Blindsight as a “breakthrough device”, facilitating future clinical trials and commercialization.

Technology “beyond the limits” of the retina

Unlike traditional retinal implants, Blindsight goes directly into the brain – specifically the visual cortex – allowing the device to operate independently of the eye structure. Initially, restorative vision may only reach low resolution, but according to Elon Musk, the long-term goal is to provide vision that is not only restored but also upgraded, being able to see wavelengths such as infrared, ultraviolet or even radar waves – far beyond the capabilities of the normal human eye.

Mixed reactions from experts

Many neuroscientists consider Blindsight to be a breakthrough. Nigel Pereira said: “Direct access to the brain region that processes images is a courageous direction, overcoming the inherent limitations of current artificial vision technologies.”

However, not everyone is optimistic. Professor Ione Fine of the University of Washington acknowledges that the technology has the potential to improve the lives of blind people, but warns that artificial vision will be very different from natural vision. Meanwhile, Dr. Gislin Dagnelie (Johns Hopkins University) expressed skepticism because of the lack of clear supporting data: “It’s all just promises. We have not seen any scientific research that has been published transparently from Neuralink.”

Ethical concerns and inequities in access

Implanting the device into the brain also raises many questions about medical, ethical and privacy risks. According to Dr. Ethan Waisberg (University of Cambridge), the high cost and complex transplant process will make this technology difficult to widely access, leading to inequality in access to medical care.

In addition, experts warn about the risk of leaking neural data – an extremely sensitive form of information that can reveal users’ behaviors, thoughts and emotions.

Perspective from China: Opportunity or Challenge?

With more than 17 million visually impaired people, China is one of the markets with the highest demand for vision restoration technology. If Blindsight technology proves to be effective and safe, it could be the premise for international cooperation projects between Chinese research institutes and advanced neurotechnology companies such as Neuralink.

However, the Shenzhen-based biotech expert said that China will not easily accept a technology based on media statements alone. Every medical device, especially related to the nerves and brain, must undergo a rigorous clinical evaluation process, approved by the competent authorities.

China in recent years has also stepped up surveillance of AI, medical and biological technologies with top priorities being ethical safety and personal information security. Bringing technology like Blindsight into the country will require a clear dialogue about neural data privacy, liability, and the ability to control foreign technology.

From technology dreams to practical challenges

Blindsight marks a turning point in the effort to restore vision with neurotechnology. However, there is still a big gap between expectations and reality. To realize the dream of bringing light back to the blind, Neuralink needs to be more transparent in its research data, address ethical issues, cost, and ensure equity in global access to healthcare.

China – with its large population and strong research capacity – could become a strategic partner in this journey. But that can only happen when science proves trust, and technology is based on transparency, ethics and international cooperation.