Elon Musk, founder of Neuralink, announced that the first human patient underwent the implantation of a brain chip produced by the startup on Sunday and is recovering well. He added in a post on social media platform X, "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection."
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
The National Institutes of Health describes neurons as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information throughout the brain and body. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the company permission last year to conduct its first trial to test the chip implantation in humans.
Musk stated in a separate post on X that the "Neuralink" chip will be called Telepathy. Neuralink reported on its website that the chip enables individuals with quadriplegia to control devices with their thoughts.
Neuralink has faced calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters reported this month that relevant authorities fined the company for violating U.S. Department of Transportation rules regarding the transport of hazardous materials. The company's valuation was estimated at around $5 billion in June of last year.
In late November, four legislators requested the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Musk misled investors about the safety of the technology after veterinary records showed issues with the implantation of chips in monkey brains, including paralysis and brain swelling.
