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Neuralink posts video of first brain implant patient moving cursor to play chess

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Elon Musk’s Neuralink made headlines Wednesday, March 20, with a live video on X demonstrating its brain implant technology. The video featured 29-year-old Nolan Arbaugh, who has been paralyzed from the shoulders down for around eight years following a diving accident, using the device to move a mouse cursor solely through neural signals.

During the livestream, viewers witnessed Arbaugh controlling the cursor to play chess, an activity he described as being powered “all by brain power.” He likened the experience to “using the force,” a nod to the “Star Wars” series.

“It’s not perfect, I would say that we have run into some issues,” Arbaugh said. “I don’t want people to think that this is the end of the journey, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but it has already changed my life.”

Arbaugh also mentioned that the implant has enabled him to play a video game, showcasing the device’s potential to restore a level of independence to individuals with severe mobility impairments.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greenlit Neuralink for a clinical trial of its device in humans last May, marking a significant step forward for the company. While experts in the field note that the brain-computer interface (BCI) technology demonstrated by Neuralink is not entirely new — similar systems have been developed by other companies — the excitement surrounding Neuralink’s progress stems from its potential to significantly improve the lives of people who have become paralyzed.

The specifics of Neuralink’s trial, including the number of participants and the trial’s goals, remain unclear. The company must undergo multiple phases of safety and effectiveness tests before receiving the final approval from the FDA to launch its product.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

ELON MUSK’S STARTUP NEURALINK STREAMED A VIDEO LIVE ON X SHOWING THE FIRST HUMAN PATIENT OF ITS BRAIN IMPLANT USING THE DEVICE TO MOVE A MOUSE CURSOR TO PLAY CHESS.

29 YEAR OLD NOLAN ARBAUGH (ARE-BAW) SAID HE BECAME PARALYZED FROM THE SHOULDERS DOWN AFTER A DIVING ACCIDENT ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.

NOW USING THE TECHNOLOGY – AND NEURAL SIGNALS — HE CAN MAKE CHESS MOVES WITH HIS MIND.

ARBAUGH SAID IT WAS LIKE “USING THE FORCE” – A REFERENCE FROM THE MOVIE STAR WARS.

HE ALSO SAID THE IMPLANT ALLOWED HIM TO PLAY A VIDEO GAME TOO.

LAST MAY — THE FDA APPROVED NEURALINK TO CONDUCT A CLINICAL TRIAL OF ITS DEVICE IN HUMANS.

SOME EXPERTS IN THE FIELD SAY WHILE THE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE TECHNOLOGY NEURALINK DISPLAYED IN THE VIDEO IS NOT NEW – THERE IS EXCITEMENT OVER HOW THE TECH WILL HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE BECOME PARALYZED.