Neuralink, the innovative company founded by billionaire Elon Musk in 2016, has introduced the first person to receive a brain implant. 29-year-old Nathan Arbo, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down eight years ago after a diving accident, can now play online chess and video games like Civilization using the Neuralink device.
During a live demonstration in Broadcast Time, Arbo showcased his ability to move a chess piece on the screen using his brain-controlled cursor, stating, “If you see how the cursor is moving on the screen, it’s all me. It’s quite cool, right?”
The goal of Neuralink is to develop a brain-computer interface that can interpret movement intentions from brain signals, allowing paralyzed individuals to control cursors or keyboards through thought. The implantation of the device, known as N1, was part of the Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (Prime) study.
Arbo described how he learned to use the brain-computer interface during the broadcast, stating, “I tried to mentally move my right hand, and it became intuitive to me how to start representing the cursor movement in my head.” Despite criticism from some neuroscientists and ethicists about test transparency, Arbo attested to the safety of the device, emphasizing that “there was nothing to be afraid of.”
Following the implantation procedure, which implanted 1024 electrodes into the brain area responsible for movement initiation, Arbo was discharged from the hospital without cognitive issues. He emphasized the impact of the study on his life, stating, “I do not want people to think that this is the end of the journey. There is still a lot of work. But this has already changed my life.”
While the broadcast provided limited details, Neuralink engineers promised to release more information in the coming days, shedding light on the groundbreaking advancements in brain-computer interfaces.