Elon Musk Unveils First Human Brain Implant by Neuralink

On Monday, January 29, Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, announced a milestone achievement for his company Neuralink. For the first time, the neurotechnology startup, which Musk co-founded in 2016, has successfully implanted a brain device in a human patient, showing encouraging early results.

Neuralink’s primary goal is to forge direct communication pathways between computers and the human brain. The project aspires to enhance human capabilities and provide treatments for neurological conditions such as ALS and Parkinson’s disease. Ultimately, it aims to foster a synergistic relationship between artificial intelligence and humans.

Musk shared an update on a platform formerly known as Twitter, stating, “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” Neuron spikes, as defined by the National Institute of Health, are activities by neurons that transmit electrical and chemical signals to the brain and body.

In the previous year, Neuralink announced that it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test its brain implants in humans.

The Neuralink technology, referred to as the “Link,” is a small device, about the size of five coins stacked together. It is implanted into the human brain through an invasive surgical procedure. Based in California, Neuralink, as reported by Pitchbook, had over 400 employees last year and raised approximately $363 million in funding.

Musk’s venture is not the only one exploring brain-machine or brain-computer interface research. He has reportedly reached out to Synchron, another implant developer, for a potential investment. In contrast to Neuralink’s Link, Synchron’s implant does not require opening the skull for installation. Synchron, based in Australia, successfully implanted its device in a U.S. patient in July 2022.