Musk's Neuralink Shows First Brain-Chip Patient Playing Chess

Facts

• Elon Musk's brain-chip start-up Neuralink has released a video of its first patient moving a cursor and playing chess on his laptop, using a chip implanted in his brain.¹
• Noland Arbaugh, 29, who has been paralyzed below the shoulders for eight years since a diving accident, received an implant in January.²
• In a nine-minute video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Arbaugh appears to play online chess and turn off the music on his laptop using his brain activity.²
• Neuralink's chip, reportedly the size of a one-pound coin, is inserted into the skull with microscopic wires that read neuron activity and send wireless signals back to a receiving unit.³
• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Neuralink for an investigational device exemption in May 2023, clearing the way for its first-in-human clinical trial.⁴
• Last month, the FDA reportedly discovered some quality control issues connected to Neuralink's testing of the technology in animals. However, the company hasn't commented on the findings.⁵

Sources: ¹www.reuters.com, ²Sky News, ³BBC News, ⁴Guardian and ⁵www.fiercebiotech.com.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Sky News. Brain interface technology, like the device implanted in Arbaugh's brain, has the capacity to greatly improve the quality of life of disabled people. While Neuralink is certainly not the only company developing this kind of technology, nor is it the most groundbreaking, this development should still be celebrated for its positive human impact.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by NBC. The recent update of Neuralink's human trials is worrying, considering the issues and critiques the company has faced in its previous animal trials. Moreover, Arbaugh has hinted at some issues with the device in the video, which is why regulators should be wary of the technology's efficacy. There are too many red flags; Neuralink's human trials shouldn't go forward.

Predictions