Did you know YouGov: 82% Oppose Brain Chip Implants, 10% Undecided, 2% Willing for Testing, 5% Open Within Year
Elon Musk has announced that his company Neuralink has started
experimenting with chips for human brains to connect the brain with
technology. The company has already planted the chip in a human test
subject. This news brought mixed reactions from the public and to see
what people think of it, YouGov conducted a poll
in February 2024. A total of 1,000 people responded to the poll and it
was found that only 8% of the respondents would get a chip in their
brain if it's sold publicly.
82% of the respondents responded
with a firm no when asked if they would want to have a chip implanted in
their brain. 10% of the respondents were indecisive so they marked
undecided. 2% of the people in the poll were ready to volunteer as a
human test subject to get a chip implanted in their brain within the
next year. Overall, 5% of the respondents said that they would like to
get the chip in their brain within the next year.
Men (13%) were ready for chips to be available commercially as compared
to 4% of women. Democrats and independents (10%) were also more
comfortable with this piece of technology in the markets as compared to
Republicans.
We often see the idea of human chips for altering
brain functions or giving more mental capabilities in many science
fiction novels and movies. The respondents who agreed with the idea of
having brain chips are probably those who have these sci-fi novels and
movies in their minds. Neuralink is playing with the minds of people who
have read Dune and Ender’s Game. 19% of the respondents who are ready
to buy the chip have read Dune and 11% who have read the novel are ready
to get the chip this year.
However, there is also a book called
Flowers of Algernon, a short story about the disastrous effects of chips
on the human brain. 13% of the respondents who have read this short
story are also excited about the chip, despite knowing some of its
effects from the story.
