Quadriplegic Man Employs Mind to Play Chess with Neuralink's Brain Chip

Neuralink, the brain tech firm started by Elon Musk, showcased its brain implant technology by enabling a man with quadriplegia to play games like chess and Civilization VI using his thoughts to control a computer.

During a livestream on X, Elon Musk's platform, viewers witnessed the company’s first patient, Noland Arbaugh, effortlessly play video games using the Neuralink implant. Musk's startup focuses on helping those with significant physical challenges, such as quadriplegia, regain computer control through thought.

Arbaugh, 29, injured his spinal cord 8 years ago but mentioned the brain chip implant surgery was simple and life-altering, allowing him to engage in activities he thought lost to him. The implant, inserted in January, required only a day's hospital stay.

More advanced than similar devices thanks to its high electrode count, Neuralink’s wireless brain chip may soon pioneer areas like vision restoration, as hinted by Musk. Yet, competing organizations like BrainGate have also achieved thought-driven cursor movements.

Kip Ludwig of the Wisconsin Institute for Translational Neuroengineering acknowledged Arbaugh's progress but noted it doesn't represent a significant scientific advance. Arbaugh, whose last public update was in 2017, previously fundraised for an accessible van following his life-changing injury at a children's camp.