Neuralink in 2025: Vision Implants, Mind Control, and Global Competition

In June 2025, Elon Musk’s Neuralink, a brain–computer interface firm, reached new milestones. Human implants for sight restoration and device control emerged, backed by a $650M Series E round. Meanwhile, China launched its own BCI trials. This article examines the latest updates, what Neuralink really is, industry reactions, and ethical considerations.

Recent Highlights

• Sixth human implant: On June 19, 2025, Neuralink implanted a device in quadriplegic Rob Grenier, who said: “Absolutely amazing what I can do already in under a week with Neuralink!” timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

• $650M funding: Early June saw a Series E round, valuing Neuralink at around $9B. Backers include ARK Invest, Sequoia, Thrive aibusiness.com+4techcrunch.com+4timesofindia.indiatimes.com+4.

• Vision implants (Blindsight): Musk confirmed human trials within 6–12 months. Tests in monkeys showed response to unseen stimuli en.wikipedia.org.

• Technical setbacks: The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, lost functionality when his electrodes shifted due to scar tissue. Neuralink is redesigning deeper placement tillamookcountypioneer.net+4as.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4.

• Global rivalry: China conducted its own clinical BCI trial, making it the second country after the U.S. timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

What is Neuralink?Founded in 2016, Neuralink develops BCI implants with up to 3,072 electrodes. They aim to restore motor and speech capabilities and eventually vision (Blindsight) and mind control aibusiness.com.

Interesting Facts

• First patient Noland Arbaugh got 64 threads, 1,024 electrodes in early 2024 as.com+1aibusiness.com+1.

• By June 2025, five human implants done—one more arrived recently mensjournal.com+15bloomberg.com+15futura-sciences.com+15.

• Blindsight earned FDA breakthrough designation in Sept 2024 en.wikipedia.org+1youtube.com+1.

• China’s BCI trial increases international pressure teslarati.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.

• Technical challenge: Neuralink aims for deeper and more stable threads timesofindia.indiatimes.com+15futura-sciences.com+15aibusiness.com+15.

Opinions & Perspectives

• Patient view: Grenier was “shocked” by the rapid progress .

• Tech mindset: Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang will wait for Neuralink before having kids, calling it “superpower potential” economictimes.indiatimes.com+2businessinsider.com+2timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2.

• News angle: Reuters underscores growing investment and innovation along with concerns over safety and regulation .

• Technical analysis: Futura Scienze highlights improved BPS performance, while deeper threads present new risks futura-sciences.com.

• Ethical controversies: Animal testing raised protests and federal scrutiny over macaque euthanasia .

Conclusion

Neuralink has moved into human trials with encouraging signs. A blend of mind control, speech functionality, and soon vision implants marks a leap forward. With major funding and global developments, a BCI revolution seems imminent.

Yet hurdles loom: safety issues, biological responses, data privacy, regulatory oversight, and profound ethical dilemmas. Whether Neuralink can scale commercially without compromising on ethics remains a pivotal question for the future of neurotechnology.