(NationalUSNews.com) — The first patient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink recently released a statement about the brain implant’s impact on his life. He claimed the new mental interface allowed him to play online games and interact with others. The first patient of Neuralink is a 29-year-old quadriplegic, and he admitted that while the new brain implant device isn’t perfect, it has improved his life substantially.
According to the patient, 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, the initial procedure required for implanting Neuralink isn’t difficult and causes only minor issues. Arbaugh shared a video of him seemingly playing a chess match mentally through Neuralink while discussing the various circumstances surrounding the brain interface. Arbaugh confirmed that the brain implant isn’t flawless but clarified that he believes the criticisms against Musk’s Neuralink aren’t warranted and that the technology within the brain implant would change society in the coming years.
Despite widespread concerns that Neuralink would create a health risk for patients and animals in testing, the FDA approved Neuralink for human trials in May 2023. One of Neuralink’s competitors, Synchron, also received FDA confirmation for human trials years ago, in 2021. Synchron receives support from influential billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates but only began trials last September. Currently, Neuralink is the first brain implant technology company to share information regarding human trials, marking a steep advancement in brain-computer implant technology.
Although research into brain implant technology, such as Neuralink or Synchron implants, began more than 20 years ago, tech giants only recently started actively pursuing FDA approval for human trials. The primary concern regarding the new technology is the potential danger of inserting computer-syle technology into human brains, which neither Neuralink nor Synchron have tested for long-term effects. Despite the concerns surrounding Neuralink and Synchron implants, both tech companies intend to push forward and develop more advanced brain-computer technology.
While Elon Musk claims Neuralink has a wide range of capabilities, from interacting with online users to quickly researching desired information, Noland Arbuagh mostly used the new implant technology to play online games. According to Arbaugh, the most significant limitation of the technology is the lengthy charge time required after a user uses up the device’s battery life. Eventually, companies like Synchron and Neuralink aim to restore motor function to people suffering from partial or total paralysis, like Arbaugh, due to the widespread demand for restorative technology. Although paralysis prevention remains a distant goal of Neuralink, Elon Musk claims that such a development will occur within the coming years.
Copyright 2024, NationalUSNews.com
