Elon Musk has announced on X (Twitter) that his neurotechnology company Neuralink finally implanted its first N1 chip into the brain of the very first human patient.
Neuralink planned to launch its first human clinical study in 2023 after the company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The very first human patient got their N1 chip implanted on Sunday, according to Musk. “Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” added the CEO of Neuralink and X itself.
The N1 chip is implanted in the skull of the patient and is connected to the brain via tiny threads thinner than human hair. The threads contain 1,024 electrodes able to pick up signals and stimulate millions of brain neurons simultaneously. The signals are being transferred wirelessly for processing and interpretation.
The technology is called brain-computer interface (BCI). Neuralink first announced its product in 2017 after working in shadow mode since its foundation in the summer of 2016. It took Neuralink another seven years to get into the human trial phase. In the meantime, the company also introduced its surgical robot R1 for precise, fast, and safe implantation of brain chips.
Check out our latest video to learn more about our PRIME Study! 🧠📱 pic.twitter.com/7zTMFzdZsF
— Neuralink (@neuralink) November 22, 2023
“[Neuralink] enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs,” added Musk on X.
Elon Musk later hinted that the brain-computer interface is also the only way to put mankind on par with artificial general intelligence (AGI) later down the road.
In theory, brain-computer interfaces can bring huge benefits to patients whose lives were severely affected by diseases or injuries. We are not talking just about paralyzed patients being able to walk, but also recovering the ability to see, or even improving the overall capabilities of humans, like controlling electronic devices by thinking.
However, the technology still needs years of development, and since the engineers and doctors are meddling with human brain in the process, it also comes with not negligible risks.
In the last couple of years, the company has been heavily criticized for alleged mishandling of animal testing on monkeys and pigs, and for alleged efforts to keep the fate of its animals hidden from the public.
Image: Neuralink