With the use of this implant, individuals who are quadriplegic can use their minds to operate external equipment such as laptops and smartphones. The BCI implant eliminates the need for wires and any physical movement.
People with disabilities, such as those who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or cervical spinal cord injuries that limit or eliminate their ability to use both hands, have been invited to join Musk’s startup’s patient registry.
In January 2024, 30-year-old Noland Arbaugh, who suffered an accident in 2016 that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, became the first individual to get Neuralink’s brain implant. Despite some difficulties along the way, Neuralink was able to modify the implant’s algorithm to improve its sensitivity and get it working again.