Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company Neuralink recently demonstrated its technology with the first human patient. In a livestream, a 29-year-old quadriplegic man named Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed from a diving accident eight years ago, showed he could control a computer and play video games like chess and Civilization VI using only his mind.
Arbaugh received Neuralink's brain implant in January and was released from the hospital a day after the procedure, which he said went smoothly. The implant, part of Neuralink's Telepathy product, is designed to allow people with disabilities to operate electronic devices with their thoughts.
During the demonstration, Arbaugh was able to move a computer cursor to wherever he wanted on the screen just by thinking about it. He described the experience as "so cool" and compared it to having "the force" from Star Wars.
While this marks an exciting step forward for Neuralink's technology, some experts caution that there is still more work to be done to refine it
There are also lingering questions about the trial's transparency, as key details like the number of participants and specific outcomes being measured have not been publicly disclosed
Nevertheless, the successful implantation and demonstration with the first human patient is a major milestone for Neuralink. Musk and the company hope this technology can eventually give people with paralysis and other disabilities greater control and independence in their lives