Musk Announces Implant of Neuralink's First Brain Chip
Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Neuralink clearance to initiate its first human trial.
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Neuralink and CEO of Tesla Motors, announced that the first-ever human has received an implant from the brain-chip startup and is currently in good health Musk shared the news on his account on the social media platform he owns X, previously known as Twitter account.
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Neuralink clearance to initiate its first human trial, a crucial step toward testing the effectiveness and safety of the brain implant technology.[1]
Neuralink has yet to provide further details regarding the procedure or the participant involved.
Earlier this month, Neuralink faced fines for violating US Department of Transportation (DoT) regulations related to the transportation of hazardous materials including the flammable liquid Xylene.[2]
There has been no independent verification of Musk's claims, nor has Neuralink provided any information about the procedure he says has taken place.
Neuralink has been working toward using implants to connect the human brain to a computer for a few years, but the company faced a lot of media backlash and a lawsuit when a monkey died in 2022 during clinical trials. A federal investigation revealed that there was no animal cruelty though.
With FDA clearance secured last year, the company's goal is to connect human brains to computers to help tackle complex neurological conditions.[3]
Several rival firms have already implanted similar devices.