Neuralink, the technology that made ‘Telepathy’ a reality, is a year old, meaning that, yes, technically speaking, Elon Musk can read minds.
In January 2024, Noland Arbaugh became the first human to receive ‘The Link’ brain interface chip. Shortly afterward, two more candidates followed, each receiving a fully implantable and cosmetically invisible chip from the Elon Musk owned company. To date, the three participants have accumulated over 4,900 hours of use.
Using a technology Neuralink calls ‘Telepathy’, the implanted device, The Link, restores a degree of autonomy to users who are incapable of using their arms or legs due to spinal cord injuries or other accidents that left them paralysed. With the Link, patients can operate their phones, play video games, or use their computers only with their thoughts.
Elon Musk’s company has restored some autonomy to 3 quadriplegics
Neuralink Corp.’s brain-computer device has been implanted in three patients so far, and the company has plans for about 20 to 30 more implants in 2025. ‘We’ve got now three humans with Neuralinks implanted, and they’re all working well,’ owner Elon Musk said during an event in Las Vegas streamed on X.
Neuralink is one of a growing group of startups developing brain implants that can help treat conditions such as paralysis and ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). All of them are experimental procedures that usually require opening up the skull to place electrodes in the brain tissue. In 2024, Neuralink said it had implanted its device in its first patient, Noland Arbaugh.
The company currently has three registered US studies for its devices, which allow paralysed patients to control external devices such as computers or smartphones with their minds. A second study is being lined up, Convoy, which is designed for three patients and allows them to control devices such as robotic arms.
Weighing pros and cons: Is Musk’s mind-reading a danger?
The groundbreaking innovation raises questions about the technology’s potential to help millions of people, but also about the risks of a world where a billionaire could have access to our thoughts, according to Musk’s detractors.
‘My brain is the last part of me that I feel I have real control over,’ Noland said. After suffering a swimming accident in 2016, which dislocated his cervical vertebrae, Noland was left paralysed from the neck down. Before the accident, Noland was an active young man, passionate about sports and music. After the trauma, he became dependent on his family for even the simplest of daily activities. ‘I have to rely on my family for everything: taking a shower, going to the bathroom, everything,’ he explained.
Now, thanks to the technology, Noland is able to use his phone, operate a computer or game console, and communicate freely online. In one of his latest tweets, he said, ‘I was away from X for one week and I come back to the USAID fun’.
