‘Most enduring gift to humankind’: Anand Mahindra excited about Elon Musk-owned Neuralink’s ‘Blindsight’ device

Anand Mahindra, chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, expressed his admiration for Elon Musk's latest innovation in neurotechnology. On September 19, Mahindra shared Musk's post about Neuralink's Blindsight device on X, formerly known as Twitter, commenting, "If this device lives up to these expectations then, much more than Tesla or Space X, THIS will be your most enduring gift to humankind."

The post Mahindra was referring to was made by Elon Musk on September 18, detailing the potential capabilities of the Blindsight device. 

Musk said, “The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see. Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time. To set expectations correctly, the vision will at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge. Much appreciated, @US_FDA!”

The Blindsight device represents a significant advancement in neurotechnology, aiming to restore vision to those with various forms of blindness. According to Musk's claims, the device could potentially help individuals who have lost their eyes and optic nerves, as well as those born without sight.

What is Neuralink's Blindsight device?

Neuralink, Musk's neurotechnology company, has received a "Breakthrough Device" designation from the FDA for Blindsight. This status is granted to medical devices that show promise in treating serious conditions and allows for expedited development and review processes.

While the initial visual output is expected to be low-resolution, Musk suggests that future iterations could potentially surpass natural human vision, even allowing users to perceive beyond the visible light spectrum.

The device is still in its experimental stages and has not yet been approved for commercial use.