BrainBridge, a neuroscience and biomedical engineering startup from the US, has claimed that they are developing the world’s first head transplant system. According to their website, it is “a groundbreaking device that will represent a landmark achievement in the fields of neuroscience, human engineering, and artificial intelligence.”
A video showing how BrainBridge will be doing the head transplant with the help of robots was shared on social media, and it has gone viral. The animated video shows two surgical robots operating on two bodies at the same time. From one body, they remove the head and places it on the other body. The animation further shows how the robots would work on the body if this technology becomes a reality.
As per BrainBridge, this system is a “revolutionary concept for head transplant system, employing cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure successful head and face transplantation procedures with improved outcomes and faster recoveries.”
Optimistically, it could be used to help match quadriplegics with brain dead donors. And be used to refine microsurgical processes that would help many with various levels of nerve damage. Presuming the donor body is able to be controlled by the head. I think this has been done with monkeys and the result was quadriplegic monkeys.
Pessimistically, it’s as you say, billionaire immortality.
Kind of starts to create a Ship of Theseus paradox with a human subjects and would be interesting to see what kind of psychology comes about when brains change bodies.
Realistically if we can completely sever a spinal cord and reattach it to a donor body we can heal most quadriplegics without replacing the body