SAN FRANCISCO: According to Elon Musk, the first human patient with a brain implant from his Neuralink startup is capable of moving a computer mouse with thought. Last month, Musk’s neurotechnology company carried out a brain implant in its first human patient, and on February 19, Musk revealed that the experiment was successful. “The patient seems to have made a full recovery with no ill effects,” Musk said in an interview streamed on X, formerly Twitter. The patient is able to “move the mouse around the screen just by thinking,” Musk added. He also stated, “We’re trying to get as many button presses as possible from thinking. You want to have, obviously, more than just two buttons.”
Neuralink’s technology works through a device about the size of five stacked coins that is placed inside the human brain through invasive surgery. The startup, which was co-founded by Musk in 2016, aims to establish direct communication channels between the brain and computers. The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders such as ALS or Parkinson’s, and perhaps one day achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
Musk is not the only one attempting to make progress in this field, which is officially known as brain-machine or brain-computer interface research. Hit with delays, the tycoon had reportedly reached out to join forces with implant developer Synchron. The Australia-based Synchron implanted its first device in a US patient in July 2022. – AFP
