The startup neurotechnology company Neuralink has successfully implanted a second paralyzed patient with the company’s brain chip device, as confirmed by the company’s founder Elon Musk.
During a recent podcast with computer scientist Lex Fridman, the billionaire announced that the operation was a success and that the patient, who had a spinal cord injury similar to the first person who received the implant earlier this year, was doing well. According to Musk, the brain chip is designed to enable paralyzed individuals to operate digital devices through thought.
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“The second implant appears to have gone very well,” Musk informed Fridman. “There are numerous signals and electrodes. It’s functioning exceptionally.”
Musk mentioned that the company intends to test the brain implant on eight more patients by the end of the year.
“The timeline depends somewhat on regulatory approvals and how quickly we can obtain them,” he explained. “We aim to have a total of 10, with eight more by the year’s end.”
In March, Neuralink released a video on social media showcasing 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh as the “first telekinetic” person with the company’s implanted brain-computer interface. Arbaugh, a quadriplegic due to a diving accident eight years ago, is now able to manipulate a computer cursor and play digital chess using just his thoughts.
— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024
Musk, who established Neuralink in 2016, shared Arbaugh’s video on his social media platform X, referring to it as a display of “telepathy.” Neuralink’s website states that the company aims to “create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.”
Neuralink received FDA approval for a human trial on brain implants in May 2023. The company’s assertion that its brain-implanted device can enable telekinetic abilities for humans has not yet been independently confirmed.
