Neuralink founder Elon Musk on Tuesday announced a new system that can “record from and stimulate [signals called] spikes in neurons” in the human brain at an unprecedented magnitude. The firm aims to start human trials for the sophisticated neural implant as early as next year. If successful, the system would be a small first step toward Musk’s extremely ambitious goal of upgrading humans to super intelligent beings by “merging” them with artificial intelligence.

Read more: Elon Musk’s Secretive Brain Tech Company Debuts a Sophisticated Neural Implant