First patient with Neuralink chip already controls computer mouse with his mind, Musk says

The first patient to have the Neuralink neural chip implanted in his brain appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse with his mind, Neuralink founder Elon Musk has said.

"Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with neural effects that we are aware of. Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking," Musk said in a Spaces event on social media platform X.

Musk said Neuralink was now trying to get as many mouse button clicks as possible from the patient.

At the end of January of this year, Musk wrote on the X social network that Neuralink had already installed its neurochip in the brain of its first patient, which will allow a person to use computer devices with the help of the mind.

The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface implant in the part of the brain that controls movement functions. The original goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.

The Neuralink project was launched in 2016. The device, which is capable of transmitting brain signals via Bluetooth, was first demonstrated by the company in July 2019. In September last year, the company began recruiting volunteers to test the implants. Neuralink explained that at that stage they will evaluate the safety of the chip (in the form of threads) and the surgical robot that it is implanted with. Musk noted that only those who have lost sight, hearing and the ability to speak will be selected for testing.