Season 7 of "Black Mirror": did Charlie Brooker borrow the idea of a brain chip from Elon Musk? (4 photos + 1 video)
Black Mirror fans can finally enjoy the long-awaited trailer for season seven. The clip shows off several futuristic technologies, from virtual reality headsets to deadly video games. However, it was the “mind-expanding” brain implant that caught fans’ attention. 
In the trailer, several characters can be seen with a small white chip on their temple. “They say it expands consciousness, changes the structure of neurons,” explains Peter Capaldi’s character.
Viewers noted the similarity to real-life technology — Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip.
Neuralink was founded by Musk in 2016 and aims to create devices to treat serious brain diseases in the short term, with the ultimate goal of improving people.
The brain chip should allow people with paralysis to control computers and other devices with their thoughts, as well as restore their vision.
The implant contains 1,024 electrodes and is installed in the brain using a surgical robot. The electrodes record the brain's electrical activity, which is then transmitted to a computer that converts the signal into commands.
The first surgery to implant a Neuralink chip was performed on paralyzed student Nolan Arbo on January 28, 2024. The patient developed a potentially life-threatening condition - pneumocephalus, an accumulation of air inside the skull, which, if left untreated, can cause seizures, a brain abscess, and death. Complications were avoided, and Nolan was soon able to use gadgets again with the help of the implant.
"This is a bit of a warning about how bad Elon Musk's Neuralink could be," one YouTube user commented on the trailer.
Another added: "Elon, it looks like the new episode of Black Mirror is going to introduce the Neuralink concept. Have you seen the trailer yet?"
Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker hasn't revealed what inspired the new episodes, but he has said that some of them are pretty nasty.
"You can expect a mix of genres and styles. We have six episodes this time, and two are essentially feature-length. "Some of them are very nasty, some of them are quite funny, some of them are very emotional. In many ways it's a return to basics. They're science fiction stories where, of course, scary things happen," Brooker explained.
