The first human patient with an implanted brain chip from Neuralink appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse using his thoughts, the startup’s founder Elon Musk said late Monday.
“The progress is good, and it seems that the patient has fully recovered, with nerve effects that we are aware of. The patient can move the mouse on the screen just by thinking,” Musk said at the Spaces event on the X social network platform.
Musk said Neuralink is now trying to get as many mouse button clicks as possible from the patient.
The company successfully implanted the chip in its first human patient last month, after receiving approval for human recruitment in September.
The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface implant in a region of the brain that controls movement intention, Neuralink said, adding that the initial goal is to allow people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.
Musk has big ambitions for Neuralink, saying it would facilitate the rapid surgical insertion of his chip devices to treat conditions such as obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.
Neuralink, which was valued at about $5 billion last year, has faced repeated calls for scrutiny over its security protocols. The company was also fined for violating the rules of the US Department of Transportation regarding the movement of dangerous goods, Kurir reported.
