Will Elon Musk’s ‘Blindsight’ enlighten the eyes of people blind from birth? The first human test will take place in 2026

Elon Musk’s neurotech company ‘Neuralink’ is working towards restoring the eyesight of people who have been blind since birth. The company’s brain implant ‘BlindSight’ claims to give visually impaired people the ability to see. Preparations are underway for its first human test in the year 2026, which has attracted the attention of scientists and common people around the world.

Blindsight is a brain-computer interface (BCI) based device. It is being made especially for those people whose eyes or optic nerve are not working. In September 2024, the US FDA gave it the status of “breakthrough device”, that is, it is considered to be a great hope in the treatment of serious diseases.

According to Elon Musk, this device will be installed directly in the part of the brain that is related to vision, i.e. the visual cortex. With this, the eyes and optic nerve can be completely bypassed.

Neuralink will start high-volume production of brain-computer interface devices and move to a streamlined, almost entirely automated surgical procedure in 2026.

Device threads will go through the dura, without the need to remove it. This is a big deal. https://t.co/nfNmtFHKsp

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2025

How will this brain implant work?

Blindsight’s system will have a camera which will capture images of the surroundings. This information will travel wirelessly to a computer or processor, where it will be converted into electrical signals. After this these signals will reach the implant in the brain. The extremely thin electrodes present there will stimulate the brain in the same way as signals coming from the eyes do under normal circumstances.

The brain will try to convert these signals into pictures. The pictures seen initially will not be very clear. Musk himself has said that the initial experience will be like old video games, but in the future this technology can be much better.

Will people blind from birth also be able to see?

Musk claims that if a person’s visual cortex is intact, he can experience seeing despite being blind since birth. However, neuroscience experts believe that this part of the brain is not fully developed in people who are born blind. Therefore, it will be extremely challenging for them to achieve a clear and useful vision.

However, there are many risks associated with brain implants like Blindsight. Infection, damage to neurons, or implant failure during surgery can become serious problems. Apart from this, ethical questions like security of brain-related data, privacy and equal access to this technology also arise.