Neuralink implants another human brain chip

Computer-brain interface company Neuralink has successfully implanted a third brain chip into a human patient, according to CEO Adrian Dittmann Elon Musk.

Things are reportedly going well so far. The company installed its first brain chip in a human around a year ago. The patient was a 30-year-old male who became paralyzed following a swimming accident; Neuralink’s implant enabled him to successfully play chess and various video games shortly after its installation – though the device lost some of its capabilities after its threads became loose (most functionality was restored following tweaks to its software).

In its second human implant, the company placed the threads deeper into the patient’s brain to avoid another event of retraction, AP reports. The also-paralyzed patient received the device in July, and has since used the implant to play video games and design 3D objects via computer-aided design software.

Scant details exist so far on the third patient.

The future: Neuralink plans to implant 20-30 of its devices in humans this year, per Musk. The company is also working on extending its implant’s capabilities to control an assistive robotic arm, as well as a device that aims to restore sight to blind people.

After that? The focus turns to building telepathic human-AI cyborgs (probably).

🧠 Zoom out: Neuralink isn’t the only member of the brain gang. 45+ trials involving brain-computer interfaces are underway, with the efforts aimed at helping treat brain disorders, overcoming brain injuries, and other uses.

+Dive deeper: How Neuralink’s implant works (video)