Neuralink Has Implanted Brain Chip In Human, Says Elon Musk
Elon Musk has announced that the first human patient has received a brain implant from Neuralink, a neurotechnology company founded by the billionaire in 2016. While making this significant announcement through X, formerly Twitter, Elon Musk also said that the patient is recovering well.
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
“The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” wrote Elon Musk on his X handle on January 30. According to Reuters, Neuralink was founded by Elon Musk and a group of engineers, and the company was working on building a brain chip interface that can be implanted within the skull. Neuralink says that this could eventually help disabled patients to move and communicate again. In May 2023, the startup received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its first-in-human clinical trial.
In September, Neuralink announced that it had opened up recruitment for its first human clinical trial. Notably, on that occasion, the brain-chip startup also said that those with paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may qualify for the study. Neuralink also mentioned earlier that the initial goal of their wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) is to grant people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
The first @Neuralink product is called Telepathy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
In a separate post on X, Elon Musk also said that the first product from Neuralink would be called “Telepathy.” The billionaire also said that it “enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.” Elon Musk said that the initial users of the product will be people who have lost the use of their limbs. “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal,” Elon Musk added.
In December 2022, Reuters reported that the startup was under federal investigation for potential animal welfare violations. The report, citing records and sources, also said that the company has killed about 1,500 animals, including more than 280 sheep, pigs, and monkeys, following experiments since 2018. Neuralink employees told Reuters that the number of animal deaths is higher than it needs to be for reasons to Elon Musk’s demands to speed research.
