A paralyzed man who became the first person to get Neuralink’s ‘mind-reading chip’ says the implant has transformed his life.
Noland Arbaugh from Arizona had the device fitted in January 2024.
He sustained paralysis from the shoulders down after a diving accident in 2016.
The injury left him facing the prospect of never working, studying or playing games again.
On the experience of life after the accident he said: “You just have no control, no privacy, and it’s hard.”
You have to learn that you have to rely on other people for everything.
The Neuralink implant has given him back some independence.
The brain-computer interface lets him operate a computer using thought alone.
The device detects tiny electrical signals triggered when he imagines movement and converts them into digital commands.
He felt the effects immediately after the operation.
He could move a cursor on screen simply by thinking about moving his fingers.
“Honestly I didn’t know what to expect – it sounds so sci-fi,” he said.
As he watched his neurons spike, it “all sort of sunk in” that he was controlling a computer with his mind.
He has practised with the system and can now play video games using thought.
He even beats his friends, which he says “really shouldn’t be possible but it is.”
Researchers have studied brain-computer interfaces for decades.
Neuralink is not the first group working on this technology, but the company has pushed it into the spotlight.
Before the operation, he met billionaire Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk.
He said Musk seemed “just as excited” to get the trial underway.
Noland added he does not view the device as solely an “Elon Musk device.”
Experts call the surgery a “significant milestone,” but they warn about potential risks.
Privacy tops the list of concerns.
Anil Seth, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, warned that “exporting our brain activity” could expose not only actions but “potentially what we think, what we believe and what we feel.”
He added: “Once you’ve got access to stuff inside your head, there really is no other barrier to personal privacy left.”
The implant did have some problems.
On one occasion it lost its connection to his brain and stopped controlling his computer.
He described the moment as “upsetting to say the least” and feared he might not use the chip again.
Technicians fixed and improved the connection.
Noland hopes future versions will let him steer his wheelchair or even operate a humanoid robot.
The only drawback is his commitment to the study.
He agreed to take part for six years, after which his path remains uncertain.