Neuralink Has Successfully Implanted a Wireless Brain Chip in a Human, says Elon Musk

Tech mogul Elon Musk asserted that his company, Neuralink, has successfully implanted a wireless brain chip in a human.

15:32 30 January 2024

Tech mogul Elon Musk asserted that his company, Neuralink, has successfully implanted a wireless brain chip in a human. Musk, formerly posting on X (formerly Twitter), mentioned detecting "promising" brain activity post-procedure, with the patient recovering well. Neuralink's objective is to link human brains to computers to address intricate neurological conditions. Musk's claim lacks independent verification, and Neuralink and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not provided procedural details.

"For any company producing medical devices, the first test in humans is a significant milestone," said Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe of King's College London.

"For the brain chip implant community, we must place this news in the context that whilst there are many companies working on exciting products, there are only a few other companies who have implanted their devices in humans, so Neuralink has joined a rather small group."

"We know Elon Musk is very adept at generating publicity for his company," she added.

Previously criticized for animal testing resulting in casualties, Neuralink, permitted by the FDA in May 2023, initiated a six-year study. Utilizing a robot for surgery, 64 flexible threads thinner than human hair are placed on the brain's "movement intention" region. The experimental implant, powered wirelessly, records and transmits brain signals to an app for decoding. Despite potential benefits for neurological disorders, experts caution that these interfaces are experimental and require invasive procedures, making widespread availability years away.

Musk unveiled Neuralink's first product, Telepathy, aiming to enable device control through thought. Initial users, he suggested, would be individuals with limb loss, envisioning enhanced communication for those like Stephen Hawking. Neuralink faces competition from companies with a longer track record, such as Blackrock Neurotech and Precision Neuroscience, each pursuing brain-computer interfaces for paralysis assistance. Recent studies in the US highlight promising outcomes with implants decoding brain activity for communication improvement.