Elon Musk has announced that the first human patient has successfully received a brain implant from Neuralink, his neurotechnology company. The individual is reportedly recovering well after the procedure. Neuralink, which aims to develop brain-computer interfaces (BCI), started recruiting human patients for its inaugural clinical trial last fall following approval from the FDA. The company stated that individuals with quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could be eligible for the study. The primary objective of the BCI is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard solely with their thoughts. Musk did not provide further details about the procedure or the trial’s progress, but he mentioned that initial results indicate promising neuron spike detection. This successful implantation is a significant achievement for Neuralink, which Musk has previously suggested could potentially allow people to experience alternate realities. However, the company is currently under federal investigation for alleged violations of animal welfare laws.
