Musk's Neuralink brain chip to cure blindness

Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Elon Musk’s Neuralink is set to start human trials of its Blindsight brain implant to restore vision for the visually impaired.

Brain chips are having a hot moment, with China’s NeuCyber and Jeff Bezos-backed Synchron also pushing ahead with human trials. But Musk says his company won’t shy away from “human enhancement” — not only restoring lost functions but also giving people “superhuman vision.” Are you ready for night-vision capabilities?

In today’s tech rundown:

• Musk’s Neuralink to cure blindness

• Apple hit with $162M antitrust fine

• Hormone-free male birth control in trials

• AI chatbots work as well as human therapists

• Quick hits on other major news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

NEURALINK

🧠 Musk’s Neuralink to cure blindness

The Rundown: Elon Musk's neurotechnology company Neuralink plans to conduct the first human trials of its Blindsight brain chip by late 2025, aiming to restore vision for people who are completely blind.

The details:

• The Blindsight implant consists of a microelectrode array, which will be embedded in the visual cortex of the brain by a robot (for extreme precision).

• Once embedded, it will stimulate neurons based on data from an external camera, enabling blind individuals to perceive visual information in the brain.

• In 2024, the U.S. FDA granted Blindsight "breakthrough device" status, and it has already shown promising results in monkey trials.

• Unlike conventional retinal implants, Blindsight bypasses the optic nerve entirely, making it suitable for those who were born blind or have lost both eyes.

Why it matters: Initially, the implant will provide low-resolution vision, which Musk says is akin to "Atari graphics." However, gradually, Neuralink will enhance the resolution, potentially exceeding natural human vision to “superhuman” levels and enabling the perception of infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths.

APPLE

🚨 Apple hit with $162M antitrust fine

The Rundown: Apple has been hit with a €150M ($162.4M) fine by French antitrust regulators for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the mobile app advertising sector through its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.

The details:

• Introduced in April 2021, ATT requires iPhone and iPad users to consent before apps can track their activity for personalized advertising.

• French regulators noted that ATT's rollout caused users to face “excessive consent pop-ups,” complicating the use of third-party apps.

• Regulators said that the system harms smaller publishers more since they depend on third-party data collection to finance their businesses.

• The fine, covering the period between April 2021 and July 2023, won’t make much of a dent in Apple’s revenue, but it may have to make changes to the ATT.

Why it matters: While this is the first antitrust action against ATT, it’s not the first against Apple. The company faces a €1.8B antitrust fine from the EU for thwarting rival music services on its App Store. The U.S. DOJ has also filed a separate case against Apple for violating antitrust laws with its locked device ecosystem.

BIOTECH INNOVATIONS

💊 Hormone-free male birth control in trials

The Rundown: A long-awaited hormone-free oral contraceptive for men, developed by researchers from the University of Minnesota, Columbia University, and biotech company YourChoice Therapeutics, is now undergoing human trials.

The details:

• Developed with precision screening, YCT-529 targets retinoic acid receptor-alpha, which blocks vitamin A signaling essential for sperm production.

• Preclinical studies showed that the drug was 99% effective in preventing pregnancies in male mice, with lower sperm counts in nonhuman primates.

• Fertility was fully restored after stopping the contraceptive, but not right away—mice regained fertility within six weeks, and primates within 10–15 weeks.

• Following successful human Phase 1 trials in 2024, it is now undergoing further clinical trials to assess its efficacy and reversibility in men.

Why it matters: If successful, this could address the huge gap in contraceptive options for men, beyond just condoms and vasectomies. While offering male reproductive autonomy and more choices, the drug’s hormone-free nature could also help males avoid side effects so common with traditional female birth control pills.

TECH FOR GOOD

💬 AI chatbots work as well as human therapists

The Rundown: A team of researchers at Dartmouth College developed a generative AI therapy bot and found it is as effective as human therapists for treating depression, anxiety, or risks of developing eating disorders.

The details:

• The therapy bot, dubbed Therabot, underwent its first clinical trial involving 210 participants, with results published in NEJM AI. 

• It employs evidence-based techniques, like cognitive behavioral therapy, through natural, open-ended text conversations via a smartphone app.

• Over eight weeks, Therabot users reported a decrease in depression symptoms by 51%, anxiety by 31%, and eating disorder-related risks by 19%.

• The results are similar to those found in trials involving 16 hours of human therapy — but the Therabot trial accomplished it in about half the time.

Why it matters: The first of its kind trial shows promise for bots that could provide low-cost, round-the-clock support to people in need. Still, experts warn that companies hyping AI therapy apps are still operating in a “regulatory gray area” and should proceed with caution — especially when coping with serious mental health issues.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

Apple and SpaceX are clashing over cellular satellite networks, as SpaceX reportedly urged regulators to delay the iPhone maker’s partner-based satellite expansion efforts.

Nokia announced that it has settled a worldwide patent dispute with Amazon over its alleged misuse of Nokia’s streaming video tech in Prime Video and Twitch services.

China is set to build the world’s first fusion-fission hybrid power plant, with a mission to generate 100 megawatts of continuous electricity by the end of this decade. 

OpenAI said that it has finalized a funding round that will bring in $40B from SoftBank, taking its valuation to a staggering $300B.

Substack is now rolling out a scrollable TikTok-style video feed in its app, following the news that it would allow creators to monetize videos on the platform.

Apple is planning a major expansion into healthcare with a revamped Health app and an AI-powered health coach, codenamed Project Mulberry, launching next year.

Isomorphic Labs, the AI drug discovery startup that spun out of Google DeepMind in 2021, raised $600M to further develop its drug design engine.

Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of AI-powered tools and features, is gaining a new Priority Notifications feature as it rolls out in the EU for the first time.

Space-tech company Blue Origin is prepping a second launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket, saying it has resolved the issues that caused the last failure.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi’s shares dropped by as much as 6.1% after one of its SU7 EVs, with driver assistance, fatally crashed on an expressway in China.

Tinder unveiled an in-app game called The Game Game that invites users to test their flirting skills with AI chatbots in romantic comedy scenarios, powered by OpenAI. 

Google announced its new mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 9a, will include a feature called “Battery Health Assistance” aimed at extending battery lifespan.

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Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team