Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Neuralink, a brain-chip startup, said the first human patient who had an implant on Sunday is doing well. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given Musk's brain chip startup permission to carry out its first human study last year, and the company later declared that it was looking for volunteers to have its chips implanted.
Elon Musk wrote, "The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection." Musk added that Telepathy, the initial Neuralink device, would allow anyone to operate a computer or phone simply by thinking.
Elon Musk explains how the device works
Musk explained more about the device in his tweet, "Enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs. Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal."
Elon Musk shares an update on the implant, "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection." Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body.
AdvertisementTo assess the implant and surgical robot's safety, the startup is testing a wireless brain-computer interface called Prime Study. According to the company website, the study will evaluate the interface's functionality, which allows individuals with quadriplegia—or paralysis of all four limbs—to operate equipment with their thoughts.
Notably, Neuralink's initial product will allow people with paralysis to use their cell phones faster and without using their thumbs, as the billionaire revealed in his previous statements on the platform.
In the past, Musk has posted recordings of monkeys using only their brains to navigate a screen while playing a game of pong. Neuralink has already carried out significant testing on animals. However, according to Bloomberg, the business is under criticism from several animal rights organizations, including the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as a result of Musk's monkey tests.
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