Elon Musk’s Neuralink implants brain tech in human patient

On Sunday, Elon Musk's neurotechnology startup Neuralink successfully implanted its device in a human for the first time. The billionaire mentioned on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday that the patient is recovering well.

The company is working on a brain implant designed to assist individuals with severe paralysis in controlling external technologies solely through neural signals. Neuralink initiated the recruitment of patients for its inaugural in-human clinical trial in the fall, following the approval granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May to conduct the study.

On Monday, Musk announced via a post on X that Neuralink's inaugural product is named Telepathy. If the technology operates correctly, individuals with severe degenerative diseases like ALS could potentially use the implant to communicate or access social media by manipulating cursors and typing with their minds.

The in-human clinical trial represents only one stage in Neuralink's journey towards commercialization. Medical device companies are required to undergo multiple rounds of rigorous data safety collection and testing before obtaining final approval from the FDA.