Elon Musk backed Neuralink hits big milestone, implanted brain chip completes 100 days

Elon Musk on Thursday said his brain-computer interface company Neuralink has achieved 100 successful days with the first human implanted with a brain chip.

Noland Arbaugh, the first participant of the ‘PRIME’ study, received a Neuralink implant over 100 days ago at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, in the US.

“Successful 100 days with the first human implant of Neuralink,” the tech billionaire posted on X social media platform.

Neuralink said in a separate blog post that the aim of the ‘PRIME’ study is to demonstrate that the brain chip is safe and useful in daily life.

“We will monitor its technical performance remotely and quantify any benefit it provides by timing the duration of independent use and assessing how it affects study participants’ quality of life,” the company informed.

Prior to having the brain chip, Arbaugh’s primary digital interface was a mouth-held tablet stylus (mouth stick) that had to be put in place by a caregiver.

With prolonged use it can lead to discomfort, muscle fatigue, and pressure sores; it also prevents normal speech.

After surgery, Arbaugh used the Neuralink implant to control his laptop from various positions, including while lying down in bed.

“He plays online computer games with friends (Chess, Civilization VI), browses the internet, live streams, and uses other applications on his MacBook, all by controlling a cursor with his mind,” the company said.

He even used the brain chip to play Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch console.

“It has helped me reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It’s given me the ability to do things on my own again without needing my family at all hours of the day and night,” said Arbaugh.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS)