Two months have passed since the announcement of the first operation during which a first patient was implanted with a Neuralink chip. Elon Musk’s company provides new information and indicates that the individual concerned is now capable of playing chess and controlling his computer by the simple force of his thought.
Play chess without moving an iota
Neuralink, one of Elon Musk’s companies, reveals the identity of the first patient to receive an implant made by it. Noland Arbaugh, 29, suffered a diving accident that left him quadriplegic. Paralyzed for eight years, the young man, who appears in a video published on X by the company, indicates that the operation went well and thanks Neuralink. The individual says he is convinced that the start-up’s work will change the world.
This video, initially broadcast live, illustrates how the Neuralink implant can be used on humans. We see Noland in the middle of a chess game, moving his pawns by the force of his thoughts.
Promising, but beware of deviations
If Neuralink technology proves very promising, certain questions remain regarding the final use of the implant, but especially concerning possible deviations. Could we one day be the victim of a cyberattack within our brain itself? Will marketing giants be able to indirectly collect new data, based on our actions?
Remember that if the billionaire behind the project wants to improve the condition of millions of patients, he has also explained in the past that Neuralink aims to communicate better with computers. This would allow them to be better controlled, given the risk that the evolution of artificial intelligence poses to our civilization.