Patient with Neuralink implant controlled mouse with thoughts, says Elon Musk

The first human patient implanted with a Neuralink brain chip appears to have made a full recovery and is able to control a computer mouse using his thoughts, the startup's founder Elon Musk said Monday night.

“Progress is good, and the patient appears to have recovered completely, with no adverse effects that we are aware of. The patient is able to move a mouse on the screen just by thinking,” Musk said at an event on Spaces, social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Musk said Neuralink is now trying to get as many patient mouse button clicks as possible.

Neuralink did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for more details.

The company successfully implanted a chip in its first human patient last month, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in September.

The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface implant in a region of the brain that controls movement intention, Neuralink said, adding that the initial goal is to allow people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.

Musk has big ambitions for Neuralink, saying it will facilitate rapid surgical insertions of its chip devices to treat conditions such as obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.

Neuralink, valued at about $5 billion last year, has faced repeated calls for scrutiny over its security protocols. Reuters reported last month that the company was fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials.