Elon Musk's Neuralink is not about preventing an AI apocalypse

When news hit yesterday that serial entrepreneur and futurist Elon Musk was investing in a brain chip venture called Neuralink, the billionaire's fan club went wild. Theories ranged from this being Musk's bold plan to forestall an AI apocalypse to more measured responses about this being a promising contribution toward curing neurodegenerative diseases. Some also, only half-jokingly it seems, accused Musk of having played a little too much Mass Effect: Andromeda over the weekend. But to unpack Neuralink's purported goal a little further, you have to understand what is and is not currently possible in the realm of neuroscience, and why Silicon Valley is putting more time, money, and energy into exploring cognitive enhancement. Neuralink isn't the first company to look into what are called brain-computer interfaces, however it is perhaps the most high profile now that Musk's name is attached.