Second Neuralink chip recipient progressing well, says Elon Musk

Tesla founder and chief executive officer Elon Musk, along with his Neurotechnology firm, Neuralink, estimated Thursday that if everything goes as scheduled, there would be hundreds of people using the company's developed brain chips within a few years, adding that tens of thousands may be reached within five years and millions in a decade.

Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company, has announced developments with the second participant of its chip. It is designed to help restore full-body control to people suffering from paralysis. Face has shown early success.

Musk shared in a post on X social media platform, "If all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralinks within a few years, maybe tens of thousands within 5 years, millions within 10 years."

Neuralink announced that their second participant for the 'PRIME Study', Alex, installed a Neuralink implant last month. The surgery was performed at the Barrow Neurological Institute and went well. Alex was discharged home the next day and recovered well.

Equipped with the chip, Alex has been improving his video game playing skills, and recently learned to use the computer-aided design software to create 3D objects. "This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy," said Neuralink.

In his free time, Alex continues using CAD software to see many of his design ideas through to fruition. "Hopefully, the Link will one day allow many people to indulge in their interests and passions," the company said.

The update on the second recipient follows that of the first recipient, Noland Armagh in the U.S., who has achieved "telepathic control of a computer or phone just by thinking."

Neuralink also works on improving the technology toward decoding of multiple clicks and intents of simultaneous movement, aiming for full mouse and video game controller functionality. "Furthermore, we envision the Link to support interaction with the physical world—enabling people to feed themselves and move around more independently by controlling a robotic arm or their wheelchair," the company indicated.