Elon Musk has shared a video showing the first patient with a Nearalink brain chip playing chess only using his mind.
The future really is here.
In late January, Musk revealed the successful implantation of the first Neuralink chip into the brain of a human test subject.
The groundbreaking product, dubbed Telepathy, holds the potential to revolutionize communication, particularly for individuals with disabilities.
Musk envisions a future where users, like the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, could "communicate faster than an auctioneer," as reported by Sky News.
"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk shared on X, his social media platform.
It seems like things have gone very well with the implant, as the billionaire took to social media to share footage of it in use.
The video, shared by Musk himself, features the first human tester of the Neuralink technology, 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, demonstrating his newfound "telepathic" abilities.
Arbaugh, who became paraplegic following a diving accident, showcased his skills in playing an electronic chess game solely through his mind, without any physical interaction with the computer, per News.com.au.
"This is one of the things that y’all have enabled me to do … I wasn’t really able to do much the last few years," Arbaugh said, expressing his gratitude towards Neuralink, highlighting the life-changing impact of the technology.
The Neuralink project, aimed at restoring autonomy to individuals with unmet medical needs, received FDA clearance for its first human clinical trials in May 2023. Arbaugh is among the first six individuals approved to test the chip after extensive animal testing.
The video illustrates Arbaugh's journey of learning to use the brain chip, transitioning from "imagined movement" to seamlessly controlling the computer cursor through sheer brainpower.
While Arbaugh and supporters hail the technology as a revolutionary breakthrough with immense potential to improve lives, skepticism looms over the ethical and safety implications.
Neuralink was first tested on pigs, sheep, and monkeys, but this was a move that drew criticism from animal rights groups following concerns raised about issues encountered by animals with the implants, such as paralysis, seizures, and brain swelling.
In response to the criticisms, Musk clarified in a social media post in September that "no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant," noting that the company chose "terminal" monkeys to minimize risks to healthy ones.
Will you be getting a Neuralink chip if it becomes available to the public?
