Max Hodak's New Venture: Beyond Neuralink

The Future of Brain-Computer Interfaces: From Neuralink to Science Corp.

Six years ago, during an event hosted by StrictlyVC in San Francisco, Sam Altman was questioned about OpenAI’s monetization strategy. His response was striking: he stated he would one day simply ask the AI itself. While initially met with laughter, Altman maintained the sincerity of his belief.

This sentiment resonates when considering the advancements being made in the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

Recalling a conversation with Max Hodak, the co-founder and CEO of Science Corp., brings Altman’s statement to mind. Hodak, with a more unconventional appearance than one might expect of a company leader valued in the hundreds of millions, possesses a keen wit that captivates his audience.

Early Beginnings and Lessons from Elon Musk

Hodak’s journey into the world of neuroscience began with programming at the age of six. As an undergraduate at Duke University, he joined the lab of Miguel Nicolelis, a prominent neuroscientist who has since voiced concerns regarding the commercialization of brain-computer interface technologies.

In 2016, Hodak co-founded Neuralink alongside Elon Musk, assuming the role of president and overseeing its daily operations.

When asked about his experiences working with Musk, Hodak described a consistent pattern. “We frequently encountered situations where I would identify two opposing potential solutions. Presenting these to Musk, he would invariably choose one, and that decision would resolve the issue permanently.”

Science Corp.: A New Approach to BCI

In 2021, Hodak leveraged his experience to establish Science Corp., bringing together three former Neuralink colleagues. Similar to Altman’s faith in AI, Hodak articulates his team’s ambitious goals with a calm assurance that suggests the limitations of human cognition may be overcome sooner than anticipated.

The Expanding Landscape of BCI Technology

While attention has been focused on AI data centers and talent acquisition, significant progress has been occurring in the BCI sector.

Data from the World Economic Forum indicates that approximately 700 companies globally are involved in BCI technology, including major tech corporations. Microsoft Research has maintained a dedicated BCI project for seven years. Apple recently partnered with Synchron, a company backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, to develop a system enabling BCI control of iPhones and iPads. Even Altman is reportedly supporting the creation of a Neuralink competitor.

Furthermore, China released an “Implementation Plan” in August, aiming for core technological breakthroughs in BCI by 2027 and global leadership by 2030.

Innovation in Engineering, Not Just Neuroscience

Hodak acknowledges that much of the underlying neuroscience isn’t groundbreaking. “A valid critique of BCI companies is that they aren’t pioneering new neuroscience. Decoding cursor control or robotic arm control from a human has been achieved for decades.”

However, he emphasizes the advancements in engineering. “The innovation at Neuralink lies in creating a device small and energy-efficient enough for full implantation, minimizing infection risk. This genuinely represents a new development.”

Hodak concedes that our understanding of the brain remains incomplete. Nevertheless, Science Corp. is actively developing revenue-generating strategies, having secured $260 million in funding. They currently produce tools for other researchers, transforming expensive, large-scale recording systems into affordable, handheld devices.

Prima: Restoring Vision with a Revolutionary Implant

The company’s initial commercial product, Prima, is a computer chip smaller than a grain of rice implanted directly into the retina. Combined with camera-equipped glasses and a portable battery, it restores vision to individuals with advanced macular degeneration, providing “form vision” rather than just light perception.

Clinical trials involving 38 patients demonstrated that 80% regained the ability to read, two letters at a time. “To our knowledge, this is the first instance of definitively demonstrated restoration of fluent reading ability in blind patients,” Hodak states.

Science Corp. acquired Prima from Pixium Vision, a French company, refined the technology, completed the existing trials, and submitted the results for European approval. Launch is anticipated next summer, with the U.S. launch timeline still under review. The procedure is projected to cost $200,000 initially, making Science Corp. profitable with just 50 patients per month.

Beyond Prima: Gene Therapy and the Future of Neuroscience

The Mind as a Network of Neurons

Science Corp.’s next endeavor focuses on gene therapy, specifically optogenetic gene therapy, which aims to make neurons light-sensitive and controllable with light. While not a novel concept, Science Corp. believes it has identified a key element that others have missed.

Prima currently utilizes 400 electrodes to stimulate bipolar cells in the retina. Gene therapy seeks to bypass the electrodes entirely by engineering surviving cells to respond directly to light using new proteins.

“The eye presents an ideal environment for this type of gene therapy due to the immune system’s tolerance of change,” Hodak explains.

Hodak asserts that their proteins are superior to those being used by other companies, offering greater speed and sensitivity.

Growing New Brain Tissue: The Long-Term Vision

However, gene therapy isn’t the ultimate goal. Science Corp. envisions a future where new brain tissue can be grown.

Hodak argues that electrodes are a crude method, causing tissue damage. “Any mechanical insertion into the brain inevitably causes harm. While some redundancy exists in the cortex, and trade-offs are justifiable for individuals with spinal cord injuries or blindness, this damage limits scalability to billions of channels.”

Science Corp. has developed a proof-of-concept device tested in mice. This device, resembling a tiny waffle grid, sits on the brain’s surface and contains engineered neurons grown from stem cells. These neurons are optimized for specific functions and, upon installation, begin forming connections with existing neural circuits.

Tests on mice showed that five out of nine mice learned to move left or right when the device was activated.

“This approach is biocompatible, as the brain fundamentally consists of neurons communicating with each other,” Hodak explains. “It’s simply neurons interacting with neurons, as intended by evolution, with the caveat that some of these neurons originate in a laboratory.”

A “valve” exists to mitigate potential risks: a readily available, FDA-approved vitamin can induce the engineered neurons to die.

Hodak’s Ultimate Ambition: Conscious Machines and the Future of Consciousness

Hodak reframes the entire discussion with a single sentence: “I believe BCI is a longevity-adjacent story.”

“The brain performs two primary functions: intelligence and consciousness. Intelligence is substrate-independent, demonstrated by its presence in both brains and GPUs. However, the ultimate aim of BCI research, I believe, is the creation of conscious machines.”

This pursuit centers on understanding consciousness itself – the physical laws governing subjective experience – and then replicating it in new substrates.

“To validate a theory of consciousness, direct observation is necessary,” Hodak explains. “This will require advanced brain-computer interfaces.”

Hodak suggests that once we comprehend how billions of neurons collaborate to create a unified experience – the “binding problem” – we can unlock extraordinary possibilities.

These possibilities include the potential for multiple brains to function as a single consciousness. “We could fundamentally redefine the boundaries of a brain, potentially incorporating four hemispheres, a device, or even an entire group of people,” he speculates.

Hodak draws a parallel to the plot of “Pluribus,” where an alien signal transforms humanity into a hive mind, acknowledging the dystopian implications but maintaining confidence in the underlying science.

“Will we see the emergence of giant super-organisms corresponding to world cultures? Will dyads represent the next evolution of marriage?” He remains uncertain about the applications of this technology but is confident that these devices will be built.

Ultimately, this path leads not to simply enhanced humans, but to individuals merged with machines and each other, with consciousness spanning multiple substrates and minds.

“We could cure cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all metabolic diseases,” Hodak concludes. “But there’s an alternative perspective suggesting that substrate independence might render these problems obsolete.”

Instead of perpetually repairing failing bodies, could we simply transfer consciousness elsewhere?

A Critical Juncture in Neural Interface Development

The significance of this discussion lies in the specificity of the projections being made. Hodak moves beyond speculative future scenarios, presenting a detailed outlook with defined schedules, anticipated patient volumes, and established regulatory procedures.

He forecasts that biohybrid neural interfaces will be readily accessible to patients requiring them by the year 2035. This accessibility, he believes, will initiate substantial and noteworthy transformations globally.

It’s important to note that Hodak doesn’t envision widespread adoption by healthy individuals in the near future. He underscores the invasive nature of “these very serious brain surgeries.” However, he points out that the natural aging process means “a large proportion of the population will eventually require medical intervention.”

Concurrently, Hodak anticipates ongoing advancements in the technology, leading to safer surgical procedures and more pronounced benefits. This gradual improvement, he suggests, will broaden the scope of individuals who could benefit from these interfaces. He estimates that by the late 2040s, the technology will achieve widespread prevalence.

The year 2035 is identified as a potential inflection point. Hodak predicts that at this time, “the first patient will be presented with the option of succumbing to a life-threatening illness, or undergoing integration with a digital environment.” From that point, adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly.

Addressing an audience, Hodak proposes that within a decade, individuals diagnosed with terminal conditions may opt for consciousness uploading and preservation via BCI technology. The reaction from those present is a mixture of fascination and apprehension.

The Persistence of Financial Disparity and the Future of Healthcare

A consistent element across time appears to be the concentration of substantial wealth within a limited segment of the population, while the majority experience more modest financial circumstances. Currently, insurance provisions exist to address the treatment of macular degeneration. However, the widespread adoption and advancement of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) could fundamentally alter the existing economic framework of healthcare.

Deflationary Tech vs. Healthcare's "Fixed Bucket"

Hodak posits that consumer technology benefits from beneficial deflation. As devices like phones and computers become more powerful and affordable, consumer spending and market size increase. Conversely, healthcare operates under what he terms a “fixed budget” model.

The core idea is that as BCI technology progresses and potentially extends lifespans, the demand for healthcare resources will inevitably grow. Hodak explains, “The challenge arises as novel technologies emerge, delivering improved outcomes and prolonged life, leading to increased expenditure on achieving even better results.” He emphasizes that a tenfold increase in healthcare spending is unsustainable and would be disastrous.

A Looming Systemic Conflict

“This represents a fundamental conflict that I believe will ultimately strain the healthcare system to its breaking point as these technologies demonstrate significant efficacy,” Hodak states.

While healthcare costs aren't immediately pressing, his point is crucial: either healthcare expenditure will escalate to untenable levels, or access to BCIs will be determined solely by financial means. The prospect of societal stratification based on cognitive enhancements feels surprisingly realistic. Consider the competitive disadvantage of facing someone with flawless memory or instantaneous calculation abilities.

Societal Implications and the Threat of Manipulation

As our discussion nears its conclusion, I inquire about Hodak’s predictions for society. He admits he lacks definitive answers. I then raise the issue of potential hacking vulnerabilities. He expresses greater concern about manipulation via platforms like Twitter than direct brain interfaces, noting he’s more worried about information control through visual input.

The conversation prompts reflection on “Pluribus,” a concept Hodak hasn’t yet explored. The show depicts a collective consciousness offering complete knowledge, freedom from isolation, and total comprehension, but at the cost of individual identity.

The Absurdity That Became Reality

Altman’s remark about simply consulting an AI resonated with those in the field, though it seemed outlandish to others.

My earlier experiences as a junior reporter in Silicon Valley come to mind. I initially dismissed many ambitious concepts and products, but numerous ideas have since become globally dominant. Therefore, I now prioritize listening and observing.