Elon Musk's Neuralink Hits Milestone With First Human Brain Chip Implantation

Rabat – This past Monday, Elon Musk announced on his X platform, formerly Twitter, that his startup, Neuralink, has successfully implanted a chip into a human brain for the first time.

“The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” posted the billionaire.

He further mentioned that Neuralink’s first product is called Telepathy, which is a new technology that allows one to control one’s phone or computer, and by extension, any device, merely through thought.

The initial recipients targeted are individuals who have experienced limb impairment or neurological disorders.

He likened the potential of this technology allowing someone like Stephen Hawking to communicate at a pace faster than a skilled typist or auctioneer; a goal that Neuralink aims to achieve.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted clearance to the company to initiate its first trial.

This marks a significant milestone in the startup’s mission, whose goal is to help people overcome neurological problems and paralysis by testing its implant on humans.

In response to his tweet, some users expressed excitement, with comments like “Wow, congrats!” and “This is great news… I’m heading to my doctor tomorrow to get one in my brain.”

Conversely, there were those who expressed fear and apprehension with the technology, posting comments like “I’m terrified by the thought of it,” or “We’re about to get even weirder,” and “Hard pass.”

In a sarcastic tone, some American users quipped, “Is there any way to program it to help recover from being a Democrat?” and flippantly suggested, “I appreciate President Biden volunteering for this.”

Although Neuralink and Musk have garnered considerable attention for their endeavors in the realm of brain-computer interfaces, several other companies, such as Synchron, have also been actively engaged in this field.

Notably, Synchron was the first business to receive FDA approval in 2021 to carry out human testing. From then on, Synchron has been taking human subjects for its experiment.

Neuralink, which was founded in 2016, has conducted trials on rats using an earlier version of this implant. According to Musk, it has also made it easier for a monkey to use its brain to operate a computer.