Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink has implanted its first microchip into a human brain. The intervention took place on Sunday, the patient is doing well and is recovering, and the initial results are encouraging, all this was announced by the tech billionaire on his X profile – writes Telex.
Neuralink aims to enable paralyzed people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
According to Elon Musk’s hopes, the product called “Telepathy” will enable people living with a paralyzing disease similar to Stephen Hawking’s to communicate faster, reports the Sky News.
Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the company to conduct the first human trial of the implant, an important milestone in the development of the technology. According to Neuralink, it received permission to voluntarily recruit for the experiment in September.
The company has previously successfully implanted a chip into the brain of a monkey and a pig. With the help of the implant, the macaque Pager was able to control the video game Pong with his thoughts.
The FDA has previously objected to the chips’ lithium battery and the potential for the wires on them to enter the brain, as well as whether they can be removed from the brain later without damage.
Proceedings were also initiated against Neuralink for animal cruelty and violation of health regulations.
Elon Musk previously stated that with implants that can be implanted in the brain, a series of popular diseases could be solved, from obesity to depression, schizophrenia and autism could be cured, and he also considers telepathy to be realistic. He said that he trusts the technology so much that he would be willing to implant a chip in the brains of his own children.