Musk: Third Person Receives Computer-Brain Connection from Neuralink

Businessman Elon Musk said a third person has had a special electronic device directly connected to their brain.

The unidentified person received an implant from Musk’s company Neuralink, which makes devices that link the human brain to computers. Neuralink is one of many groups working to connect the human nervous system to machines.

On the social media service X, which he owns, Musk said: "We've got...three humans with Neuralinks and all are working well."

Neuralink announced its first brain implant one year ago. Recently, Musk said the company has improved its devices. Musk also said Neuralink hopes to implant the experimental devices in 20 to 30 more people this year.

The second patient reportedly has a spinal cord injury and got the implant last summer. The person was playing video games with the help of the device and learning how to use design software. The first patient, also paralyzed after a spinal cord injury, said it helped him play video games and chess.

Many other companies and research groups are working on similar projects. Two studies published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine describe how brain-computer interfaces, known as BCIs, helped people with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) communicate better. ALS is a nervous system disease that affects cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Others working on brain-computer interface technology

Nature magazine reported last September that there were published results from 28 trials worldwide of BCIs over the past 25 years.

Rajesh Rao is co-director of the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington. Rao said that many research laboratories have already shown that humans can control computer cursors using BCIs.

Rao said Neuralink might be different from the others in two ways. First, the surgery to implant the device is the first to use a robot to implant flexible electrical connectors into a human brain to record brain signals and to control devices. Second, those connectors might record from more parts of the brain than interfaces from other research efforts.

Rao said other companies such as Synchron, Blackrock Neurotech and Onward Medical are carrying out BCI tests on people using methods that are different from Neuralink.

Benefits of BCIs

Marco Baptista is chief scientific officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He called BCI technology "very exciting" with possible benefits to people with paralysis.

Through clinical tests, "we'll be able to see what's going to be the winning approach," he said. "It's a little early to know." A clinical trial follows established rules on how to design an experiment involving human subjects.

How are BCIs tested and supervised?

Neuralink announced in 2023 that it had received permission from U.S. officials to begin testing its device in people. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for approving the sale of medical devices.

Dr. Rita Redberg studies high-risk devices at the University of California, San Francisco. Redberg said that most medical devices go on the market without clinical trials. However, high-risk devices that are seeking approval from the FDA before they go on the market need what is called an "investigational device exemption."

Neuralink says it has this exemption.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Laura Ungar reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English.

implant - n. something placed in a person's body by means of surgery

spinal cord – n. the large group of nerves which runs through the center of the spine and carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body

paralyzed – adj. unable to move or feel all or part of the body

cursor – n. a mark on a computer screen that shows the place where information is being entered or read

benefit –n. a good result from an action or treatment

exemption – n. freedom from being required to do something that others are required to do

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