Neuralink’s brain-chip patient is playing Civilization VI for 8 hours straight with his mind،
In 2024, we may not have the flying cars imagined in the 1950s, but we already have a human with a chip installed in his brain that allows him to do incredible things.
It's like playing chess and playing Civilization VI for 8 hours straight – all just thinking about it, without actually interacting with the games interface.
Reuters reports the latest developments regarding the first patient with a Neuralink brain chip: 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh.
Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk with the aim of developing implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). Its main goal is to enable humans to communicate directly with computers and improve their cognitive abilities, potentially offering solutions to neurological problems and integrating artificial intelligence with human cognition.
Additionally, Neuralink – and businesses – is what gives many people nightmares. Yes, misuse of technology can and does happen, so be prepared.
But back to the first patient with a Neuralink brain chip. Neuralink live-streamed the patient using only his mind to play chess online.
Noland Arbaugh was paralyzed below the shoulder after a diving accident and is now able to play chess on his laptop. The implant aims to allow people to control a cursor or computer keyboard using only their thoughts.
“The operation was super easy. I literally walked out of the hospital a day later. I have no cognitive deficit. I had pretty much given up on that game,” Arbaugh said, referring to the Civilization VI game, “all of you (Neuralink) gave me the opportunity to do this again and I played for 8 hours straight. »
In January, Neuralink implanted the chip in his brain, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in fall 2023. In 2022, the Neuralink project entered its human trial phase – before this, Neuralink carried out tests on primates, killing 15 people. of the 23 monkeys tested.
Today, patient zero with a brain chip appears to have made a full recovery. That's great, but it's remarkable that the patient is able to control a computer mouse with his thoughts, the startup's founder, Elon Musk, said a month ago.
“Progress is good and the patient appears to have made a full recovery, with some neural effects that we are aware of. The patient is able to move a mouse across the screen just by thinking,” Musk said.
