Elon Musk’s American neurotechnology company, Neuralink, showcased the latest developments of the first brain implant patient during a live stream on Wednesday (20th), demonstrating that a quadriplegic man can play video games and online chess using his thoughts.
Founded in 2016 by Musk and a team of 7 scientists and engineers, Neuralink is dedicated to developing implantable brain-machine interfaces, allowing patients to control computers with their thoughts. Since its inception, the company has hired renowned neuroscientists from various universities, and Musk has announced that the company will start collaborating with patients with severe physical disabilities such as spinal cord injuries or quadriplegia.
On Wednesday, Musk posted a live video on the social platform X, showing that patient Noland Arbaugh can play chess on the computer and also play the game “Civilization VI.” “I thought I would never be able to play that game again. This has changed my life, and the surgery was very simple,” he said.
Arbaugh, 29, mentioned that he suffered a spinal cord injury 8 years ago due to a diving accident. He was discharged from the hospital the day after undergoing surgery at Neuralink, which progressed smoothly. However, he acknowledged that there is still some work to be done to refine the technology.
Neuralink is not the only company working on human-machine interfaces. Previously, other institutions have demonstrated how the human brain can control a mouse cursor through willpower, such as the BrainGate consortium consisting of research institutions and hospitals. Neuralink also announced last month that the first patient to recover using their brain chip and control a mouse cursor with their thoughts had been successful.
However, Neuralink’s device contains more electrodes than other devices, indicating the potential for more applications in the future. Additionally, Neuralink’s device can operate without the need for wired connections to external devices.