Neuralink Chip Enables Patient to Control Computer with Thoughts

A man with an implanted Neuralink chip has learned to control a computer using his thoughts. He showcased his skills during a broadcast on the media platform X.

https://t.co/OMIeGGjYtG

— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024

29-year-old Nolan Arbo is the first patient to undergo the Neuralink implant procedure. During the broadcast, he explained that he became paralyzed following a diving accident.

After the operation, Arbo learned to control a computer and play video games using the technology, which Elon Musk previously described as a “form of telepathy.”

“The operation was very easy. I was literally discharged from the hospital the next day. I have no cognitive impairments,” Arbo reported.

According to the patient, the technology is still imperfect but has the potential to change many lives.

Former director of the neural engineering program at the US National Institutes of Health, Kip Ludwig, believes that the demonstrated results “cannot be called a breakthrough.”

“This is still a very early period post-implantation, and there is much work to be done by both Neuralink and the subject,” he added.

However, Ludwig noted that for patients, it is a positive development—they have gained the ability to interact with a computer in ways they could not before the operation.

In February, a person with a Neuralink brain chip completed a full rehabilitation course.