Off The Record
A Man Who Was Paralyzed And Became The First Individual To Use Elon Musk’s Neuralink Implant Has Spoken Out About Its Life-Changing Impact
The first person to utilize Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip, a paralyzed man, has talked about how it has transformed his life.
Musk, the inventor of SpaceX, founded Neuralink in 2016 with the intention of developing brain-implanted computers.
Noland Arbaugh, 30, is paralyzed after suffering a severe diving accident in 2016 that left him quadriplegic.
Noland was the first to be fitted with the gadget in January 2024.
As a “brain computer interface” (BCI), the Neuralink chip recognizes electrical impulses produced when a person considers moving.
By converting these to digital, Noland is effectively able to operate a computer with his thoughts.
After the chip was implanted, Noland was able to move a cursor by only thinking about moving his hand when he woke up.
“Honestly I didn’t know what to expect – it sounds so sci-fi,” he stated to the BBC.
He had never imagined that he would be able to play video games and chess again.
Noland remarked, “I grew up playing games,”
“Now I’m beating my friends at games, which really shouldn’t be possible but it is.”
“… We know so little about the brain and this is allowing us to learn so much more.”
Noland has stated that although there are obstacles, he expects that ultimately the chip would enable him to operate his wheelchair.
When his equipment ‘disconnected’ from his brain, he lost control of it, he told the BBC, citing a chip malfunction.
“That was really upsetting to say the least,” Noland remarked.
“I didn’t know if I would be able to use Neuralink ever again.”
Thankfully, the connection was fixed and made better.
Musk stated on X that “Long-term, it is possible to shunt the signals from the brain motor cortex past the damaged part of the spine to enable people to walk again and use their arms normally.” Neuralink’s ultimate goal is to assist paralyzed people walk again.
Meanwhile, Neuralink has said: “Our current work is focused on pushing cursor control performance to the same level as that of able-bodied individuals, and on expanding functionality to include text entry.”
“In the future we intend to extend the Link’s functionality to the physical world to enable control of robotic arms, wheelchairs, and other technologies that may help increase independence for people living with quadriplegia.”
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