A brain-computer interface (BCI) startup called Paradromics, a competitor to Elon Musk's Neuralink that's aiming to control computers using brain implants, is partnering with Saudi Arabia's megalomaniac Neom city-building project.

By Nancy DahlbergElon Musk may have Washington on his mind, but his brain chips are headed to Miami.Neuralink, Musk’s startup,  has selected the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine to be the second US clinical trial site to test whether its brain chip – a brain-computer interface implant – can give people who are paralyzed the ability to use only their thoughts to control their smartphones, computers and other electronic devices.“The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the University of Miami are renowned for their pioneering research in neural interfaces for the treatment of debilitating neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury and ALS. We look forward to partnering with them as a site for our PRIME Study,” DJ Seo, co-founder, president and COO at Neuralink, said in a statement.The Neuralink PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) Study will seek to assess the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s N1 Implant. This brain-computer interface (BCI) implant establishes a wireless, digital link between the brain and computers. The study will also evaluate Neuralink’s R1 Robot, a surgical robot that precisely and rapidly places the N1 Implant’s ultra-fine electrode threads within microns of targeted neurons.“This study will use the latest technological advances in BCI approaches for improving function and quality of life in individuals living with the consequences of chronic spinal cord injury, as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” said Dr. Allan Levi, a UM professor and chair of neurological surgery and a co-investigator, in the announcement.The implant procedure will be carried out by Neuralink scientists and a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, neuroscientists and biomedical engineers at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the Miller School of Medicine.The procedure is less invasive than other types of brain surgeries because the Neuralink procedure occurs on the superficial surface area of the brain and requires a relatively small incision, he told the Miami Herald. “I really think it’s going to be a game changer.” Neuralink was founded in 2016