The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company’s founder Elon Musk said.
“The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” Musk said in a post on X on Monday.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans, a critical milestone in the startup’s ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions. In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial.
“The first Neuralink product is called Telepathy,” Musk said.
“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. Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal,” he added.
