Hey everyone, it’s Cosmo.

Neuralink enabled a man with ALS to speak—and it’s miraculous. Brad Smith is paralyzed and unable to speak, but as the third Neuralink patient in the world, he can now operate a computer and communicate in his own voice using an AI voice clone.

As a former transhumanist, I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it truly is a miracle—a shining example of technology elevating humanity. I highly recommend watching this video about it, which Brad himself edited and narrated.

Yet the more cynical part of me worries about where this could lead. Is a society filled with brain-chipped people the end game? Elon Musk claims it’s the only way humans could ever keep pace with AI. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em kind of thing.

I’m all for faster, higher-bandwidth methods of controlling a computer. I feel this most keenly while vibe coding, where my progress is often limited by how quickly I can speak or type into the chat box. But the moment we invite technology into our bodies is the moment we surrender our sovereignty. No, thank you.

Perhaps someday Neuralink or another BCI company could find a way to achieve this non-invasively. For now, though, I can admire their incredible achievement and appreciate how they’ve given a paralyzed man his freedom back.

Magic Beans of the Week

Thank you for reading. Till next week! 😊

Best,
Cosmo