Elon Musk announced a big milestone for his brain-computer interface venture, Neuralink. The first human recipient of Neuralink's brain chip, Noland Arbaugh, is doing well after 100 days.
Arbaugh became the first enrollee of the 'PRIME' study that underwent the implantation procedure at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
"Thrilled to report 100 successful days since the first human implant of Neuralink," Musk shared on his preferred social media platform.
Neuralink elaborated in a blog post that the objective of the 'PRIME' study is to validate the safety and practicality of the brain chip in everyday life.
"We'll be remotely monitoring its technical efficacy and gauging any improvements by tracking usage duration and assessing its impact on participants' daily lives," the company explained.
Before receiving the brain chip, Arbaugh relied on a mouth-held tablet stylus, a cumbersome solution administered by a caregiver. This method often caused pain, muscle strain, and speech difficulties.
Post-surgery, Arbaugh found new freedom with the Neuralink implant that enabled him to use his laptop easily, even from bed.
"He plays online games with friends, surfs the web, live streams, and uses multiple MacBook apps—all using mind-controlled cursor motions," Neuralink said.
Even more surprisingly, Arbaugh used the brain chip to play Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch gaming console.
"It's given me a life back; to reconnect with the world, my loved ones, and to be independent in my day-to-day without needing constant support," said Arbaugh, summarizing the impact that the Neuralink implant has had on him.
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