Elon Musk, founder of Neuralink, said the first human patient implanted with the brain chip has recovered and can move a computer mouse with their thoughts.
The creator announced this at a Spaces event on X, formerly Twitter.
“The patient appears to have recovered fully, with neural effects that we are aware of. Musk revealed during the event that the patient can move a mouse around the screen by thinking.
He said Neuralink is working to maximise patient thought-based mouse button clicks.
Read also: FDA approves Neuralink clinical trial on humans
What to know
Neuralink successfully implanted a chip in its first human patient last month after getting permission in September to start recruiting people for a human study.
A robot is used in the study to surgically place a brain-computer interface device in a part of the brain that controls the desire to move.
One of the main goals is to let people use their thoughts to direct a computer cursor or keyboard.
In his big plans for Neuralink, Elon Musk wants to quickly insert its chip devices into brains to treat diseases like obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
Despite the positive results, Neuralink is still closely watched for safety reasons. It was fined in January for breaking U.S. Department of Transportation rules about moving dangerous goods.
About Neuralink
Musk and seven scientists and engineers established Neuralink in 2016. Neuroscience, biochemistry, and robotics expertise were hired first. January 2017 saw the purchase of the “Neuralink” trademark.
Neuralink declared in April 2017 that it would build devices to treat significant brain illnesses in the immediate term for transhumanism. Musk stated the science fiction concept of “neural lace” in Iain M. Banks’ 10 novels The Culture piqued his curiosity.
Musk called the neural lace a “digital layer above the cortex” that could be implanted through a vein or artery without significant surgery. He added “symbiosis with artificial intelligence” is the long-term goal, which might threaten humanity’s existence. He thinks it will be “something analogous to a video game, like a saved game situation, where you can resume and upload your last state” or “address brain injuries or spinal injuries and make up for whatever lost capacity somebody has with a chip.”
Neuralink brain implants revolutionise human-computer interaction
Neuralink and Musk’s other business, OpenAI, shared the Pioneer building in San Francisco’s Mission District in 2020. In 2022, Neuralink’s headquarters were in Fremont, California.
In 2018, Musk’s family office head, Jared Birchall, was Neuralink’s CEO, CFO, and president. Musk owned most of Neuralink in September 2018, but he was not an executive. By August 2020, just three of the eight founding scientists remained at Neuralink. According to Stat News, “years of internal turmoil in which pushed schedules have clashed with the slow and incremental pace of science.
Neuralink showed a monkey playing “Pong” with the implant in April 2021. Since 2002, a study group has shown a monkey controlling a computer cursor with brain impulses. Scientists applauded the implant’s wirelessness and electrode expansion. In May 2021, co-founder and president Max Hodak quit. By January 2022, just two of the eight co founders were still alive.