Neuralink, a brain-chip firm founded by Elon Musk, broadcasted live as its first implanted patient used his brain to play online chess. In the video, Noland Arbaugh—who had a diving accident that left him paralyzed below the shoulder—plays chess on his laptop and uses a Neuralink gadget to move the mouse. According to the business, the goal of the implant is to allow users to use only their thoughts to control a computer’s keyboard or cursor.
After a diving accident left him paraplegic, Noland Arbaugh received an implant in January, but specialists warn that the procedure is still in its early stages.
Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-chip business, broadcasted live while its first implanted patient played online chess.
Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old patient who suffered a diving accident that left him paralyzed below the shoulders, was using the Neuralink gadget to move the cursor while playing chess on his laptop.
According to Musk’s statement from last month, he had an implant from the business in January and could use his thoughts to manipulate a computer mouse.
Regarding the implant process, Arbaugh remarked in the video that was live on Musk’s social media platform X, “The surgery was super easy.” “I was discharged from the hospital the very next day. I’m not cognitively impaired.
Speaking on Civilization VI, Arbaugh remarked, “I had pretty much given up playing that game. You guys [Neuralink] gave me the ability to do that again and played for eight hours straight.”
What Neuralink demonstrated was not a “breakthrough,” according to Kip Ludwig, a former program director for brain engineering at the US National Institutes of Health.
He went on, “We are still in the very early stages of post-implantation, and there is a lot of learning to optimize the amount of information for control that can be achieved on both the Neuralink side and the subject’s side.
Ludwig stated that despite the implant, the patient has benefited by being able to communicate with a computer in a manner that was not possible for them to do before. He remarked, “It’s definitely a good starting point.”
He went on, “We are still in the very early stages of post-implantation, and there is a lot of learning to optimize the amount of information for control that can be achieved on both the Neuralink side and the subject’s side.
Ludwig stated that despite the implant, the patient has benefited by being able to communicate with a computer in a manner that was not possible for them to do before. He remarked, “It’s definitely a good starting point.”
Less than a month after the business announced it was approved to test its brain implants on humans, Neuralink was discovered to have issues with recordkeeping and quality controls for animal tests, according to a Reuters story last month. When questioned then with the FDA inspection, Neuralink remained silent.
