The world's richest man, the head of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), and the brains behind brain implant startup Neuralink. The latest news is that his startup has successfully implanted a chip into a human brain for the first time. In fact, in a tweet on X, Musk claimed that the chip can control devices or gadgets using only the power of thought.
In his tweet on X, Musk announced that the first person had successfully received an implant of Neuralink's product. He stated that the patient is now recovering well.
"The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well," Musk said on the X platform.
Not only that, he also expressed strong optimism about this.
"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk wrote on X on Monday (January 29).
The neuron spike process, which is the interaction between brain cells through electrical and chemical signals, plays an important role in our ability to perform various activities such as moving, thinking, forming memories, and others, as explained by the Queensland Brain Institute.
This chip is Neuralink's first product called "Telepathy". Plans to test the implantation of the chip in the brain have been voiced by the company since last year.
In recent years, Musk has had big ambitions to help people overcome paralysis and other neurological conditions through Neuralink. By implanting chips into the brain, Musk's move is not just an experiment, considering that Neuralink has already started offering brain implants to patients with paralysis.
According to CNN, the process of installing the chip is done through surgery on the area of the brain that controls the desire to move. The chip is called a brain-computer interface (BCI). In the process, the chip is installed by a robot, which then records brain signals and sends them to a special application. The initial vision of this technology is to give individuals the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard with their mind.
The company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year to begin its first human trials. In September, Neuralink announced that it had received approval to begin human trials.
However, the company has faced a number of claims related to its safety protocols that have come under scrutiny, as reported by Reuters. Earlier this month, the company was also fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules regarding the transportation of hazardous materials.
