The first human patient implanted with a Neuralink brain chip appears to have fully recovered and can now move a computer mouse with their thoughts, according to the startup’s founder, Elon Musk, late Monday. “Progress is good, and the patient appears to have fully recovered, with no adverse effects that we are aware of. “The patient can move a mouse around the screen simply by thinking,” Elon Musk stated at a Spaces event on social media platform X. Elon Musk stated that Neuralink was now attempting to elicit as many mouse button clicks as possible from the patient.
Neuralink was valued at about $5 billion last year
Neuralink did not immediately respond to Reuters‘ request for additional information. The company successfully implanted a chip in its first human patient last month, after approval for human trial enrollment in September. According to Neuralink, the project employs a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface implant in a part of the brain that regulates the intention to move, with the original goal of allowing patients to control a computer cursor or keyboard with their thoughts.
Elon Musk has lofty goals for Neuralink, claiming that it will enable rapid surgical insertions of its chip devices to cure illnesses such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia. Neuralink, which was valued at about $5 billion last year, has faced repeated calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters reported last month that the firm was fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials.