Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX recently stated that if all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralink brain chips within a few years. He made the statement post witnessing that the second recipient has been progressing well.
Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company has confirmed early progress with its second participant. The chip could help to restore full body control in people who are suffering from paralysis or similar kinds of neurological disorders.
In a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter) platform, Musk wrote: “If all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralinks within a few years, maybe tens of thousands within 5 years, millions within 10 years”.
The company further informed that last month (in July 2024), Alex, the second participant in its ‘PRIME Study’, received his Neuralink implant.
Neuralink said, “The surgery, conducted at the Barrow Neurological Institute, went well — Alex was discharged the following day, and his recovery has been smooth.”
With the new chip implanted, he has been improving his ability to play video games and has begun to learn how to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D objects.
The company further noted: “This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy.”
In his free time, Alex continues to use CAD software to turn his design ideas into reality.
“We hope that in time, the Link helps many people create in their areas of interest and expertise, and we’re excited to work with more people to help them reconnect with their passions,” said the company.
The update about the second recipient came as the first recipient - Noland Armagh in the US who has enabled "telepathic control of a computer or phone just by thinking".
The Musk-run company is now working on decoding multiple clicks and multiple simultaneous movement intents to deliver full mouse and video game controller functionality.
“Additionally, we plan to enable the Link to interact with the physical world, allowing users to feed themselves and move more independently by controlling a robotic arm or their wheelchair,” it noted.
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Inputs from IANS
