There are reports that Neuralink, a brain-computer interface venture led by Tesla's CEO Elon Musk, has just received permission from the US FDA to implant its brain chip into a second human. The FDA clearance comes right after the emotional unveiling of the first recipient of the Neuralink brain chip, Noland Armagh, in the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the latest iteration of the chip for the second recipient incorporates enhancements such as the insertion of some of the device's ultrathin wires deeper into the brain. Neither Musk nor Neuralink has issued an official response to this development at present.
The Neuralink chip has been said to have the potential for giving full-body control back to people affected by paralysis. Right after successfully implanting a brain-chip in Armagh, the company started the procedure for the second participant's selection for the chip implant.
Musk has said that the company targets bridging the "severed nerve signals to a second Neuralink in the spine, restoring full body control".
Arbaugh, equipped with the chip in his brain, has experienced the ability to exert "telepathic control of a computer or phone just by thinking". These trials conducted by Neuralink seek to evaluate the preliminary functionality of the wireless brain-computer interface, facilitating individuals with paralysis to manipulate external devices using their thoughts.
