Black Mirror fans claim device teased in Season 7 is based on the Neuralink brain chip – so, was Charlie Brooker inspired by Elon Musk?

The moment that Black Mirror fans have been waiting for finally arrived last night, as Netflix released the highly anticipated trailer for Season 7. 

From virtual reality headsets to killer video games, the trailer showcases several futuristic technologies.  

However, it was a ‘mind-expanding’ brain chip that really caught fans’ attention. 

In the trailer, several characters can be seen sporting a small, white chip on the side of their faces. 

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‘They call it mind expanding. It alters your neuronal structure,’ Peter Capaldi’s character ominously explains. 

Viewers were quick to point out the resemblance to a real-life technology – Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip. 

This implantable device is said to enable people with paralysis to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts, and potentially restore vision to those born blind. 

‘This is a warning show of how bad Elon Musk’s Neuralink will become,’ one user commented on the YouTube video of the trailer. 

The brain chip in the Black Mirror trailer sits on the wearer’s temple, and is studded with small, blue lights. 

While Neuralink’s brain chip is fully implanted, this hasn’t stopped fans from drawing comparisons. 

‘black mirror now is just, what if neuralink has apps?’ one user quipped on X (formerly Twitter). 

Another added: ‘Elon, it appears that a new episode of Black mirror is doing a neuralink concept. Have you seen the trailer yet?’ 

Neuralink was founded by Musk back in 2016, and is on a mission to ‘create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.’

The Neuralink device contains 1,024 electrodes which are implanted into the patient’s brain tissue by a sewing machine-like robot.

Those electrodes record the brain’s electrical activity which is then streamed to a computer which converts the signal into commands such as clicking or moving a mouse.

Neuralink claims that this technology will allow those with physical disabilities such as quadriplegia to use computer-controlled devices and regain their autonomy.

However, it hasn’t been without its controversy. 

Neuralink’s first human trial nearly came to an end after the patient endured a potentially life-threatening condition shortly after the implantation surgery.

A report about the incident claimed that air became trapped inside Nolan Arbaugh’s skull during the operation, a condition known as pneumocephalus that can cause seizures, brain abscess and death if untreated.

Meanwhile, DailyMail.com revealed last year that there was horrific animal testing being performed to bring Musk’s brain chip project to life. 

Black Mirror writer, Charlie Brooker, has not commented on his inspiration for the brain chip, although he did call some of the new episodes ‘deeply unpleasant.’

‘You can expect a mix of genres and styles. We’ve got six episodes this time, and two of them are basically feature-length,’ he said.

‘Some of them are deeply unpleasant, some are quite funny, and some are emotional.’ 

‘It’s back to basics in many ways. They’re all sci-fi stories — there’s definitely some horrifying things that occur, but maybe not in an overt horror-movie way. There’s definitely some disturbing content in it.’

Black Mirror will return to Netflix on April 10