Neuralink's Brain-Chip Breakthrough: Patient Playing Chess With His Brain

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Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-chip startup, showcased its first patient utilizing a mind-controlled chip to play online chess in a live-streamed demonstration. Despite positive outcomes, including improved quality of life for the patient, Neuralink faces scrutiny following FDA inspection findings regarding record-keeping and quality control issues in animal experiments.

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Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink marked a significant milestone on Wednesday with a live-streamed demonstration of its first patient utilizing a chip implanted in his mind to engage in online chess. Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old who had been paralyzed below the shoulder due to a diving accident, showcased the device's capabilities by playing chess on his laptop and manipulating the cursor solely through the Neuralink implant. The revolutionary implant aims to empower individuals to control computer functions such as cursor movement and keyboard input using their thoughts.

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Arbaugh, who received the implant in January, expressed his enthusiasm for the technology, highlighting how it has transformed his life. In a video streamed on Musk's social media platform X, Arbaugh described the implant procedure as "super easy," emphasizing his rapid recovery and lack of cognitive impairments post-surgery. He reminisced about his renewed ability to engage in activities like playing the game Civilization VI for eight consecutive hours, a feat made possible by the Neuralink device.

Despite Arbaugh's positive experience, Kip Ludwig, a former program director for neural engineering at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, cautioned against viewing the demonstration as a definitive breakthrough. Ludwig emphasized that both Neuralink and the patient are in the early stages of post-implantation learning, suggesting there is still much to discover in optimizing the device's functionality. However, he acknowledged the significance of the achievement, noting that the patient's newfound ability to interface with a computer represents a promising starting point.
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The demonstration comes amidst recent scrutiny faced by Neuralink, as Reuters reported findings from U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors regarding record-keeping and quality control issues in animal experiments conducted by the startup. This revelation occurred less than a month after Neuralink announced clearance to test its brain implants in humans. The company did not respond to inquiries regarding the FDA inspection at the time of the report.