A paralyzed patient implanted with a brain chip by Elon Musk's neurotechnology company Neuralink played chess using the power of thought.
Noland Arbaugh, 29, paralyzed from the shoulder down in a diving accident, played chess on his laptop and moved the cursor using the Neuralink device. Neuralink aims to treat neurological disorders such as paralysis and blindness and improve the quality of life of people with disabilities by implanting microchips in the brain.
Musk said last month that Arbaugh received an implant from the company and was able to control a computer mouse using his thoughts. In the video posted on X, Arbaugh said, "The surgery was very easy. I was discharged from the hospital a day later. I have no cognitive impairment."
Stating that he played thanks to the chip, Arbaugh said, "Neuralink gave me the opportunity to do it again and I played for 8 hours straight."
Detailing his experience with the new technology, Arbaugh said, "I don't want people to think that this is the end of the journey, there is still a lot of work to be done, but it has already changed my life."
"Not a breakthrough"
The implant aims to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts. Kip Ludwig, former program director for neural engineering at the US National Institutes of Health, said what has been achieved with Neuralink is not a "breakthrough".
"There's a lot to learn on both the Neuralink side and the patient side to maximize the amount of information for control that can be achieved," Ludwig said.
