Neuralink Showcases First Brain-Chip Patient Playing PC Games Using Mind Control
Video screenshot via Neuralink
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has revealed truly mind-bending proof of how its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is revolutionizing the life of its first human trial participant, Noland Arbaugh.
In a livestream on X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink engineer Bliss Chapman, who referred to Arbaugh as his “only telekinetic friend,” demonstrated how the patient utilizes Neuralink’s brain chip to control a computer and play chess using nothing but his thoughts.
Arbaugh, 29, who became quadriplegic following a freak diving accident eight years ago, has regained a significant degree of independence through Neuralink’s technology. In late January, he had a quarter-sized chip implanted into his brain, a procedure that has since allowed him to interact with a computer in ways that were previously unimaginable for someone in his condition.
— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024
Likening the implant to wielding the Force from Star Wars, Arbaugh described the initial moment he moved the cursor with his mind as a “wild experience.” He said the surgery to insert the chip—involving placing a chip with dozens of threadlike electrodes into the part of his brain responsible for movement—was “super easy,” and that he was discharged from the hospital the day after.
Arbaugh recounted that once he had the implant, he played Civilization VI, a game he’d missed very much, for eight hours straight all through mental commands.
“It’s so cool. I’m so freaking lucky to be a part of this… Every day, it seems like we’re learning new stuff and I just can't even describe how cool it is to be able to do this,” he related.
Neuralink’s venture into human trials follows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approval in May 2023, with participant recruitment beginning in September. Although not without its string of rather troubling controversies, this technology continues to develop, holding promise not only for restoring lost motor functions but also for opening new avenues for human interaction with the digital world.
[via People, Tom’s Hardware, PC Gamer, video and cover screenshot via Neuralink]
