In what is seen a groundbreaking development, Elon Musk has revealed that Neuralink, a brain chip startup founded by the billionaire, has successfully implanted a wireless chip in a human for the first time.
The recipient underwent the procedured on January 28 and is recovering. "The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well," Musk posted on X. "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection."
What is Neuralink?
Neuralink is a neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk in 2016. It aims to build direct communication channels between brain and computers in a bid to treat neurological disorders like ALS and Parkinson's.
The brain chip startup won approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2023 to conduct its first trial on humans.
Animal testing controversies
Neuralink first tested its technology on animals after inking a deal with University of California to test its brain chip at UC Davis's primate centre.
These clinical trials reportedly killed around 1,500 animals, including primates and pigs, since 2018, according to Reuters. Neuralink terminated its agreement with UC Davis in 2020 but the animals reportedly continued to get killed during experiments held in internal departments.
In August 2020, Neuralink demonstrated brain activity in a chip-implanted pig. Less than a year later, the company showed how a chip-implanted monkey plays Pong.
The FDA dismissed Neuralink's application for human trials in 2022, citing the potential for the implant’s threads to migrate to other areas of the brain, reported Reuters.
Later in May 2023, Musk announced that Neuralink received FDA approval.
