A brain science company implanted a quarter-sized chip in its first patient on Sunday
Elon Musk said that Neuralink has implanted their brain chip in a human patient for the first time.
The tech entrepreneur, 52, shared further X (formerly known as Twitter) that the unidentified patient is “recovering well” after the person “received the implant” on Sunday.
“Initial results show promising detection of neural spikes,” added Musk, who founded the company in 2016. Musk did not provide any additional information about the patient’s condition or the procedure.
The chip implant, the size of a quarter, has dozens of tiny mesh electrodes. Electrodes are then implanted in the brain itself and transmit electrical signals from neurons, according to The Wall Street Journal. The chip is located in the area of the brain that controls the intention to move, reports Reuters.
Musk said on Xu Monday night that the brain science startup is working on creating its first product, “Telepathy.” Musk previously announced that Neuralink’s brain implant will be called Link. Musk did not confirm whether these are different products or whether “Telepathy” is a new name for the brain implant.
In the following X post, Musk revealed that the product will give people the ability to control phones and computers “just by thinking.”
“The initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs,” Musk explained. “Imagine Stephen Hawking being able to communicate faster than a fast typist or an auctioneer. That’s the goal.”
In 2022, Musk confirmed that he will also receive his own Neuralink implant, writes CNBC.
Elon Musk in Paris, France on Friday, June 16, 2023.
Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty
Twitter threatens to sue Meta over themes
This implantation procedure follows a June 2023 procedure performed by Neuralink’s competitor, Precision Neuroscience, according to CNBC.
Neuralink received Food and Drug Administration approval for human research in May 2023, CNBC reported. Neuralink then started recruiting participants in September.
Since Neuralink’s founding in 2016, the company has faced accusations of violating the Animal Welfare Act. But in December 2022, Reuters reported that the Department of Agriculture had found no violations beyond a self-reported incident in 2019. The self-reported case involved a Neuralink surgeon using an unapproved sealant to seal holes drilled into a monkey’s skull.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Tesla’s top secret ‘Project 42’ is supposedly a glass house being built for Elon Musk
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/elon-musk-secret-project-42-glass-house-071423-1-5505e11097414473a6b068b5a7d4fb6a.jpg)
Elon Musk on Friday, June 16, 2023 in Paris, France.
Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty
In November, four lawmakers asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Musk committed securities fraud, Reuters reported. Musk allegedly misled investors about the safety of Neuralink due to reports that monkeys with implants in the experiment suffered from various health problems, such as brain swelling, seizures and paralysis.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the company was fined $2,480 for violating US Department of Transportation (DOT) rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials and found that hazardous waste was improperly packaged.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education