Visually impaired YouTuber "OneShot Hansol" Kim Han-sol clarified the pouring misunderstandings after applying to Elon Musk's clinical trial.
On the 12th, a video titled "I woke up and I'm number one in the news.. I'll explain everything" was uploaded to the "OneShot Hansol" channel.
That day Kim Han-sol said, "Everyone, I think I should give a little clarification. I'm now known as Elon Musk's buddy. It's been spreading a lot in the news, but I haven't packed my luggage yet. My passport is still in the drawer," he said. When asked how it felt to be number one in the news, he said, "I was really proud. I clicked it like, 'Huh? Why am I number one? What's this?' and it said I had almost already gone to the U.S. and had a chip implanted in my brain."
Earlier, Kim Han-sol said on his YouTube channel last month that he directly applied to the clinical trial of "Blindsight," a vision restoration technology under development by Neuralink led by Elon Musk. Blindsight is a technology that helps the brain, not the eye, perceive visual information by implanting a coin-sized chip in the brain to stimulate the visual cortex.
At the time, Kim Han-sol said, "It's not that the eyes see, but the brain makes it visible," and admitted, "I'm worried that someone might peek into my thoughts or that it could be hacked." He added, "It shouldn't become a world where only people with money can open their eyes and those without money cannot. If I make a lot of money later, I want to support surgery costs for people in need. If not, I'll at least grab Elon Musk by the collar," jokingly.
But as the news spread and became distorted as if he had already undergone the clinical trial, Kim Han-sol issued a direct clarification. When he mentioned a composite photo showing him arm in arm with Elon Musk, he joked, "Actually I already went. I actually met Elon Musk," then said, "That's AI. It doesn't make sense. But someone believed that nonsense and friends sent me the photos. 'When did you go to the U.S.,' 'If you can really see, tell me so I can buy Neuralink stock'—all sorts of comments came, so I felt I should clarify this. When I stayed silent, the controversy kept spreading. Today I'll firmly fact-check this for you," he said.
When asked, "Did you win the Neuralink application last time?" he said, "No. That was an application. I only said I would let you know when the application results came out, but now the news reads 'OneShot Hansol's brain chip challenge' and it's trending. I thought it would disappear in a day, but it hasn't. I checked my (winning) emails and none came. I'm eating gukbap in Korea tomorrow as well. I'm not someone who was rejected. I'm waiting. And do you think I would be chosen? Visually impaired people from all over the world will apply. Also, the clinical trial is still pending approval, so it might take some time before selections are made," he said.
Regarding the remark "If not, I'll grab Elon Musk by the collar," he waved it off, saying, "When did I ever say that? It's not like that. If this becomes commercialized and it helps visually impaired people open their eyes, it could be expensive, so the hope was to have everyone supported; it was a good intention. Elon hyung, this is a misunderstanding. There's no reason to grab his collar," he said dismissively.
Kim Han-sol, who said he received a lot of contacts from people around him after the news ranked highly, said, "A lot came in. Even my aunt and uncle called and asked, 'Are you really going to have a chip implanted in your brain?' I said I'm not going to the U.S. right now and I wasn't selected. And subscribers were very worried. I saw the comments. I'm grateful. But to clarify, it's not that I'm opening (my head) immediately. If it happens, I'll let you know then," he said.
When asked, "Aren't you worried about your brain being hacked?" he admitted, "I'm really worried about that. It's something to worry about after the results are out, but I'm worried. If they implant the chip and all my thoughts are revealed, I'd be so embarrassed. This is my imagination, but because you never know, it's scary," he said.
When asked, "If you really get selected and are told to come to the U.S., will you go?" he said, "This seems to be what people are most curious about, but the moment I say 'I'll go' here, headlines like 'OneShot Hansol rushes to the U.S. right now' would appear. I'm being very cautious," adding, "First I have to consult with my family. I need permission from my uncle and aunt. It's like, 'Elon Musk contacted me, can I open my brain?' I was mistaken thinking they'd split my head open. A robot makes a tiny hole here, pops it in and out—it's simple. I will check safety a bit more, get your opinions, and choose carefully," he said.
If he is rejected, he said he would "accept it humbly," joking, "Should I grab Elon Musk by the pant leg?" He painted a big picture, saying, "I'm fine with a life without sight. It's fun. I didn't say I'd grab his pant leg. If I'm rejected, that could even be good. I'll make a video about being snubbed by Elon Musk."
He said, "First, thank you for worrying. I didn't know so many people would be concerned. There's really a lot of interest. But since the results aren't out yet, there's no chance I'll open my eyes for the time being. And don't unsubscribe; subscribe and watch and let's see how the technology develops together while eating eggs with me," he said. When asked again, "If it doesn't work, will you grab his collar?" he promised again, "How would I grab his collar? But as a pledge: if he doesn't provide financial support to many people, I'll grab his collar."
Meanwhile, Kim Han-sol reportedly noticed abnormal symptoms in his vision on the bus he took to school in 2010, and lost all his sight within two to three months thereafter. He runs the "OneShot Hansol" channel with 1.68 million subscribers and is actively working as a visually impaired YouTuber.
[Photo] OneShot Hansol
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