Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-chip start-up, recently showcased their groundbreaking technology by livestreaming a video of their first human patient, 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, playing online chess using only his mind. Arbaugh, who became paralyzed from the shoulders down after a diving accident, described the experience as “intuitive” after practicing using the brain-computer interface.
In the video shared on social media, Arbaugh compared the feeling to using “the Force” from Star Wars, explaining how he could move the cursor on the screen just by imagining it. The surgery for the device was described as “super easy” and Arbaugh was released from the hospital the next day. Despite some issues encountered, Arbaugh emphasized the life-changing impact the technology had on him and the need for further development.
The co-founder of Neuralink, Elon Musk, highlighted the demonstration of “telepathy” in being able to control a computer through thoughts. This progress comes after Neuralink previously showcased a video of a monkey playing Pong with its mind. While Neuralink is not the only company working on brain-chip technology, it has shown significant advancements in this field.