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Noland Arbo, 29, who was partially paralyzed after a diving accident 8 years ago, became the first person to have Neuralink implant a chip in his brain.

It is about a “brain-computer” interface (in the Neuralink version, the product was called “Telepathy”), which actually allows you to control actions on the computer by the power of thoughts.

• The Telepathy device contains more than 1,000 electrodes (far more than other implants) and targets individual neurons (many other devices in development target signals from groups of neurons), which should provide a higher degree of accuracy in detecting signals. The chip and electrodes are implanted in the patient’s brain with the help of a specially designed robotic surgeon, and wireless communication ensures that brain signals are sent to a special Neuralink program, which decodes them into actions and intentions. The device is also recharged wirelessly.

In the live broadcast launched on X, Arbo, who said he used to enjoy playing chess, replays the game on a computer by moving the cursor remotely — as if by thought.

— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024

The patient also noted that the implant surgery was “extremely easy” and that he only had to learn to distinguish “imagined movement from attempted movement” in order to get used to controlling the cursor on the screen. In addition to chess, Arbo played Civilization V — previously this was only possible using special lip sticks.

The man added that the Neuralink implant can work for 8 hours before requiring recharging.

“It’s not working perfectly and we’ve run into some problems,” Arbo said. “There’s a lot of work ahead, but it’s already changed my life.”

Neuralink is a startup founded by Elon Musk in 2017 that is trying to create a brain-computer interface and help people with injuries control their phones and PCs using the “power of thoughts.” In 2019, Musk announced that Neuralink had implanted a chip in a monkey’s head, which was then “able to control a computer.” Since then, the company has regularly published videos in which monkeys allegedly play video games or type text “with the power of thought.” The technology was also tested on pigs

Neuralink’s technology is based on decades of research into implanting electrodes into the human brain to interpret signals and treat conditions such as paralysis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. One early device, known as the Utah array, was first demonstrated in humans in 2004. Some Neuralink competitors, such as startup Synchron, offer an alternative method of implanting the chip through blood vessels.

Noland Arbo became the first person to receive the Neuralink implant after the company received approval for tests and announced that it was recruiting patients in December. In the past, Neuralink has repeatedly faced criticism from both animal rights activists and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for the way it tested its interface on animals. There were also questions about the transportation of potentially hazardous materials — the US Department of Transportation initiated an investigation and eventually fined the company.

Musk’s biographical book stated that Neuralink plans to operate on more than 20,000 people by 2030. In general, in all his announcements, the billionaire expresses rather ambitious goals, such as the fact that the implant will one day help people “merge” with artificial intelligence.

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