Neuralink Chip 'Stabilized' in First Patient's Brain; Second Implant on the Way

Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, announced that the brain chip developed by his company has become relatively 'stable' in the brain of the first patient, and the second patient's implant will take place in the coming week. On Wednesday, July 20, Mr. Musk and Neuralink executives discussed the results of the chip implantation in the first patient, future plans of the company to assist patients, including improving disabilities and aiding those who have lost their memory, and addressing hardware issues related to the chip. Musk stated that the very thin and delicate threads of the implanted chip in the first patient's brain have now reached a 'more or less stable' state. He mentioned that once these thin threads are fixed in their exact positions in the brain, they will send signals to the brain. The company revealed its first brain chip recipient, Noland Arbo, who underwent the implantation six months ago. This chip serves as a brain-computer interface. Mr. Arbo, a 29-year-old resident of Arizona, has been paralyzed from the shoulders down for eight years due to a diving accident. The threads, thinner than human hair, now implanted in his brain, allow individuals like him who suffer from disabilities to communicate with others or control devices simply by thinking. Receiving brain signals enables these patients to move a mouse or cursor on a computer screen through thought. According to Musk, creating a close symbiosis between human intelligence and artificial intelligence will empower individuals tremendously. After receiving the brain chip, Noland Arbo has been able to play video games, browse his favorite web pages, and independently move the mouse on his handheld computer through thought. He has been engaged for up to 70 hours a week post-surgery, including playing chess and watching movies. Two months ago, reports revealed that the sensitive electrodes of the Neuralink brain chip, which were supposed to decode brain signals, had shifted by up to 85% in the first patient, Noland Arbo. However, Neuralink managed to partially restore the functionality of the implanted chip. On July 20, company executives announced in a live broadcast on social media platform X that Neuralink is currently focusing on reducing the risks associated with brain surgery and lowering carbon dioxide levels in patients' blood. Matthew McDougall, a brain specialist and Neuralink collaborator, explained during this broadcast that efforts are being made to freeze the skull surface to minimize the gap under the implant and bring the implanted chip closer to the brain. This will eliminate any unwanted tension that may occur on the electrode threads in the brain. Elon Musk also stated that the company will make changes to reduce the problem of electrode threads clustering in brain tissue. Neuralink is working to develop a device that eliminates the need to use half the number of electrodes that were implanted in Noland Arbo's brain. Reducing the number of electrodes is expected to improve the chip's performance. Musk expressed hope that his company's brain chip will also be implanted in the second patient within the next week, and the number of patients receiving the brain chip will reach a 'high single-digit' figure by the end of the current calendar year. The brain chip implantation has previously been tested on animals, and U.S. federal agencies have monitored these studies concerning potential violations of animal rights. Founded by Elon Musk in 2016, Neuralink is based in San Francisco and aims to create implantable brain-computer interface chips for humans. The company states its goal is to assist scientific efforts and produce practical inventions in the field of neurological diseases and paralysis caused by them, as well as other conditions including obesity caused by eating disorders. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Neuralink permission to conduct its first clinical trial for brain chip implantation in humans in early fall last year.