What you need to know:
- The device, designed to aid those with spinal cord injuries, has already enabled the first patient to play video games, browse the internet, post on social media, and control a laptop cursor.
- In a podcast released late Friday, Musk shared few specifics about the second patient but mentioned they have a spinal cord injury similar to the first patient, who was paralyzed in a diving accident.
Neuralink has successfully implanted its brain-computer interface in a second patient, enhancing the ability of paralyzed individuals to control digital devices solely through thought, according to Elon Musk. The device, designed to aid those with spinal cord injuries, has already enabled the first patient to play video games, browse the internet, post on social media, and control a laptop cursor.
In a podcast released late Friday, Musk shared few specifics about the second patient but mentioned they have a spinal cord injury similar to the first patient, who was paralyzed in a diving accident. Musk noted that 400 of the implant’s 1,024 electrodes are currently operational in the second patient’s brain. “I don’t want to jinx it, but it seems to have gone extremely well with the second implant,” Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman. “There’s a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It’s working very well.”
Musk did not reveal when the second surgery took place but mentioned that Neuralink plans to implant devices in eight more patients this year as part of its clinical trials.
The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, appeared on the podcast with Musk and three Neuralink executives, discussing the implant and the robot-assisted surgery. Before receiving the implant in January, Arbaugh used a mouth stick to interact with his tablet. Now, he can control his computer by simply thinking about the desired actions, which has given him increased independence and reduced his dependence on caregivers.
Arbaugh initially experienced issues when the implant’s tiny wires retracted, leading to a drop in functional electrodes. Neuralink addressed this by enhancing the implant’s sensitivity through algorithm adjustments. Despite having only about 10-15% of the electrodes working, Arbaugh has improved his cursor control speed, surpassing his previous world record.
Musk also mentioned discussing with Republican candidate Donald Trump the possibility of forming a commission to enhance government efficiency by reducing business regulations. Musk expressed his belief that U.S. regulations stifle innovation.
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