What’s it like to use Elon Musk’s brain chip? How does it work?
"It’s like using the Force" on a computer cursor, according to Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic who was the first person to receive the Neuralink brain chip implant in January 2024. Arbaugh and another trial participant have used the mind to control a computer mouse, play online chess and video games since getting the implant.
How does the tech work?
The Neuralink brain chip is implanted in the part of the brain that handles thoughts and body movement, where it records electrical signals sent between brain cells and wirelessly transmits them to Neuralink’s software. The software decodes and translates the neural data into actions, such as moving a cursor or a chess piece on a computer screen.
Who can use the Neuralink brain chip?
The Neuralink brain chip is being tested on volunteers between 22 and 75 years old who have limited or no ability to use both hands as part of an FDA-approved clinical trial. Paralysis must be from a cervical spinal cord injury, or ALS, a rare disease that causes nerve cells to stop working and muscles to become weak, leading to paralysis.
Where does the implant go?
During the three- to four-hour operation, surgeons implant the wireless, rechargeable coin-size brain chip in the part of the brain that handles thoughts and body movement. A Neuralink surgical robot with a needle that’s thinner than a human hair is used to implant more than 60 flexible ultra-thin "threads."
What happens after surgery?
Once patients recover from surgery, the device is activated, and training begins. The set-up process is similar to ones used for face recognition, accessibility controls, and other features on a phone or computer. It’s essentially "training your brain to think about things that are presented to you so that the chip can interpret" what movement you want to do.
What is the clinical trial testing?
The clinical trial is testing the safety and effectiveness of the brain chip and the surgical robot used to implant the device in people with tetraparesis, weakness in arms and legs, or tetraplegia, complete paralysis in arms and legs.
FAQs
- What is the Neuralink brain chip? The Neuralink brain chip is a wireless, rechargeable coin-size device that records electrical signals sent between brain cells and wirelessly transmits them to Neuralink’s software.
- How does the Neuralink brain chip work? The device records electrical signals sent between brain cells and wirelessly transmits them to Neuralink’s software, which decodes and translates the neural data into actions.
- What is the goal of the clinical trial? The goal of the clinical trial is to test the safety and effectiveness of the brain chip and the surgical robot used to implant the device in people with tetraparesis, weakness in arms and legs, or tetraplegia, complete paralysis in arms and legs.
- How can I participate in the clinical trial? To learn more about the trial and eligibility requirements, visit clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06429735. Those interested in learning whether they may qualify for the "Precise Robotically IMplanted Brain-Computer InterfacE," or PRIME, trial can sign up through Neuralink’s United States Patient Registry.
