Musk: "Patients with Brain Chip Implants Can Control Mouse with Thoughts Alone"

원본보기 아이콘

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of the neuroscience startup Neuralink, revealed that the first clinical trial participant was able to control a computer mouse on a screen using only their thoughts about a month after having a computer chip implanted in their brain.

According to CNN and other outlets on the 20th (local time), Musk said during a voice conversation event on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter) the previous night that the ongoing Neuralink clinical trial is "progressing well."

He explained, "The patient appears to have fully recovered without any perceived side effects," adding, "They can control the mouse and move it on the screen just by thinking." He further noted that they are working to enable pressing many buttons with thought alone and mentioned the need for tasks such as dragging boxes on the screen by moving the mouse up and down.

Neuralink is pursuing the commercialization of BCI technology that implants a chip in the brain and connects wirelessly to a computer. After receiving clinical approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May last year, the company began recruiting trial participants with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) starting in September of the same year. Subsequently, Musk confirmed on the 28th of last month that Neuralink’s first clinical trial patient had the chip implanted in their brain the day before.

The detailed identity of the clinical trial participant has not been disclosed. CNN reported that, aside from Musk’s statements, no additional details or information have been confirmed so far, making it unclear how significant this implant surgery is in terms of scientific advancement.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.