Elon Musk Reveals Neuralink Patient Controls A Computer Mouse Through Thought

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Neuralink Makes a Major Breakthrough with Patient

A patient who has received a Neuralink brain implant can now control a computer mouse using their thoughts, according to Neuralink’s founder, Elon Musk.

In a Spaces session on the social media platform X, Musk shared that the patient has successfully moved the mouse around the screen and appears to have fully recovered with no ill effects from the implant.

Neuralink is Musk’s startup dedicated to developing brain implants that enable humans to use their neural signals to control external devices. Its ultimate goal is to restore lost capabilities such as vision, motor function, and speech.

The company implanted its device in a human for the first time in January, using a robot for precise and safe implantation.

ELON: Neuralink patient made full recovery and is able to control a mouse just by thinking (on 𝕏 Spaces now) pic.twitter.com/CopjIYuuQT

— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) February 20, 2024

Musk, also the CEO of Tesla, mentioned that Neuralink aims to increase the number of actions possible through thought, such as moving the computer mouse to drag boxes on a screen.

Neuralink started recruiting patients for its first human clinical trial in the fall after receiving FDA approval in May. This trial is a crucial step toward commercialization, as medical device companies must undergo rigorous data collection and testing to obtain final FDA approval.

Leonard J. February 20, 2024