On March 21, Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink live-streamed an event on X featuring the first patient implanted with a brain chip using their mind to play chess online.
Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old patient paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident, played chess on a laptop, moving the cursor with the Neuralink device. The Neuralink brain chip implant enables patients to control a computer mouse or keyboard using their thoughts.
In February, Elon Musk (CEO of Neuralink) stated that Noland Arbaugh could control a computer mouse with his thoughts.
“The surgery was incredibly easy,” Noland Arbaugh said in the live-stream on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, referring to the brain chip implantation procedure.
“I was actually discharged just a day later. I didn’t experience any cognitive decline. Basically, I had given up gaming. You guys (Neuralink) have given me the ability to do that again and play continuously for 8 hours,” Noland Arbaugh added, mentioning the game Civilization VI.
Expanding on his experience with the new technology, Noland Arbaugh noted that it was “not perfect” and that Neuralink “has encountered some issues.”
“I don’t want people to think this is the final step; there is still a lot of work to be done, but it has changed my life,” he further stated.
Kip Ludwig, former director of the neural engineering program at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, commented that what Neuralink demonstrated is not a “breakthrough.”
He added: “It is still early days post-implantation, and there is a lot to learn on both Neuralink’s side and the patient’s side to maximize the amount of control information that can be achieved.”
Nonetheless, Kip Ludwig remarked that this is a positive development for patients who can now communicate with computers in ways that were not possible before the brain chip implantation. “That is definitely a good starting point,” he said.
Neuralink successfully implanted a brain chip in Noland Arbaugh in January 2024, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in September 2023.
According to Neuralink, the research uses a robot to perform the brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in the area of the brain responsible for motor intention. Neuralink stated that the initial goal is to allow patients to control a computer mouse or keyboard with their thoughts.
Elon Musk has set ambitious goals for Neuralink, claiming the company will accelerate the process of implanting brain chip devices to treat conditions such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
The world’s third-richest billionaire mentioned that Neuralink aims to address autism and schizophrenia while helping patients use devices like phones or computers simply by thinking about them. Autism and schizophrenia are regarded as disorders rather than diseases.
Many experts believe it may take some time to determine whether Neuralink’s brain chip truly works effectively.
Anne Vanhoestenberghe, a professor of medical implants at King’s College London, stated: “I know Elon Musk is very skilled at building the company’s credibility, so we can expect trial results soon. In my opinion, true success needs to be evaluated over the long term with controlled stability over time and how it benefits participants.”
Neuralink began its trial recruitment research in September 2023.
At that time, Neuralink reported it had passed tests from an independent review board consisting of leading experts and physicians in the U.S. to be allowed to test chip implants on paralyzed individuals.
In November 2023, Ashlee Vance, who was the first to write a biography of Elon Musk in 2015, revealed that thousands had signed up for Neuralink’s trials.
Previously, Ashlee Vance described that when implanting the brain chip, doctors need several hours to perform a craniotomy, followed by 25 minutes for a robot to insert the device along with ultra-thin chip components consisting of about 64 different fibers. These fibers are so thin that they are 1/14 the width of a human hair.
Valued at about $5 billion last year, Neuralink has faced numerous calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols.
In February, Reuters reported that inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found issues with record-keeping and quality control in animal experiments at Neuralink. The company did not respond to questions regarding the FDA inspection.
In early January 2024, Reuters reported that the company had been fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations concerning the transportation of hazardous materials.
In November 2023, four U.S. lawmakers requested that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigate whether Elon Musk committed securities fraud by misleading investors about the safety of the brain implant device being developed by Neuralink.
In a letter to the SEC, the four lawmakers, including Earl Blumenauer, Jim McGovern, Tony Cardenas, and Barbara Lee, requested a thorough examination of how Neuralink operates as the company prepares to trial brain chip implants on humans for the first time at that time.
The letter cited veterinary records obtained from Neuralink’s monkey experiments showing health impacts and debilitation due to the chip implant, including symptoms of paralysis, seizures, and brain swelling. According to the letter, approximately 12 healthy monkeys died due to reactions to Neuralink’s implant.
However, Elon Musk denied any connection between the monkeys’ deaths and Neuralink’s chip implants, asserting that the research team selected test subjects that were close to death. Neuralink’s animal experiments are conducted to validate scientific hypotheses, and the company is committed to providing maximum care for the animals being tested.
Meanwhile, the four lawmakers argued that the deaths of animals in Neuralink’s experiments directly relate to the company’s safety. Therefore, Elon Musk’s statements may have violated SEC rules.
Investors need to know the truth about Neuralink’s product marketing capabilities. In 2022, Neuralink employees disclosed to the media that the company had rushed to perform unsuccessful surgeries on monkeys, pigs, and sheep, leading to more animal deaths than necessary.
In 2021, Neuralink showcased a monkey implanted with a chip demonstrating the ability to control a computer mouse and play games using brain signals. However, the company has been accused of animal cruelty and risks transmitting infectious diseases to humans through contaminated hardware devices.
According to SEC records from November 2023, Neuralink has raised over $280 million from outside investors. The company has developed a Bluetooth-enabled chip implanted in the human brain aimed at activating telepathic abilities and restoring movement functions for injured individuals. The chip features a USB-C port, connects via Bluetooth to a small device worn in the ear, and links to a smartphone.
Elon Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016 with seven other members, most of whom have since left. The company’s goal is to successfully develop a brain-computer interface to allow humans to merge with AI in the future.
Neuralink currently faces significant competition from startups like Synchron and Onward. Therefore, Ashlee Vance stated: “Elon Musk warns that Neuralink must accelerate like the world is dealing with an impending apocalypse.”
