Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, announced a significant milestone: a human patient with the company's brain-chip implant has regained full health and can now control a computer mouse purely with their thoughts. This development was shared during a late Monday Spaces event on the social media platform X by Musk.
Musk detailed the patient's ability to navigate a computer screen without physical interaction, emphasizing the progress and the absence of any adverse effects known to the team. The focus is currently on enhancing the patient's capability to execute mouse clicks through thought.
Neuralink, which embarked on human trial recruitment in September after receiving the necessary approvals, achieved this feat by implanting its first human patient with a brain-chip last month.
The procedure, performed by a robotic surgeon, involves placing a brain-computer interface implant in a brain area associated with movement intention.
The company's primary objective is to empower individuals to operate a computer cursor or keyboard through mental commands.
Musk envisions broader applications for Neuralink's technology, including the potential to address conditions like obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia through rapid surgical implantation of its chip devices.
Despite being valued at approximately $5 billion last year, Neuralink has encountered scrutiny over its safety protocols and was fined for breaching US Department of Transportation regulations on transporting hazardous materials.
