Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced on Saturday that his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, has successfully implanted its chip in the first human patient, Noland Armagh. This milestone marks a significant step towards Neuralink's ambitious goal of restoring full body control in individuals suffering from paralysis.
"Long-term, I think we can bridge severed nerve signals to a second Neuralink in the spine, restoring full body control," Musk stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Armagh, the world's first recipient of a Neuralink implant, has already demonstrated "telepathic control of a computer or phone just by thinking," according to Musk. Neuralink is now accepting applications for a second participant to receive the chip implant, with Armagh set to share his life-changing experiences with the new recipient.
The company's PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) trials, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are designed to assess the safety of the N1 implant and the R1 surgical robot. The primary goal is to evaluate the functionality of the wireless brain-computer interface in enabling individuals with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.
Meanwhile, the company is on the hunt for its second human volunteer to receive its "Telepathy" brain implant.
"Neuralink is accepting applications for the second participant. This is our Telepathy cybernetic brain implant that allows you to control your phone and computer just by thinking," Musk posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Last week, Neuralink revealed that some of the tiny threads connecting the device to the brain had shifted out of position a few weeks after surgery, impacting the implant's functionality. While the company initially considered removing the implant completely, they ultimately made adjustments, restoring its effectiveness.
Despite the initial setback, Neuralink is moving forward with its human trials, seeking individuals eager to participate in the advancement of brain-computer interface technology. The company had received an overwhelming response when it opened applications for the first trial last September, with thousands expressing interest in having the chip implanted.