Neuralink completes chip implantation in second patient in study

On Lex Fridman’s podcast, Musk revealed that a second patient had been successfully implanted with a Neuralink brain chip.

So far we know little about the recipient, other than the fact that he was paralyzed in a diving accident.

Everything is going very well so far – there are many signals.

A few months after the first successful implantation of a brain chip, Elon Musk’s Neuralink on the second patient in the study who was paralyzed in a diving accident.

The news was first announced by Musk himself on Lex Fridman’s podcast. The implantation was successful and is it works quite well at this point.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but it looks like the second implant went very well. There’s a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It’s working very well.” – Elon Musk

About the chip

The Neuralink integrated circuit is a revolutionary device that allows physically disabled people to control devices using only their thoughts.

The current version consists of 1024 electrodes arranged on 64 threads which are thinner than a human hair.

Revealing his future plans, Musk said he really hopes the brain chip will make it to speed 100 bits per second in the coming years.

In 5 years, it will likely be able to operate at megabit speeds, which will be faster than any human could communicate by writing or speaking.

He also believes that this implant can significantly simplify communication between AI and humans. These machines operate at terabits per second, while humans communicate at only a few bits per second. There is a distinct delay that Neuralink brain chips can help bridge.

First Patient in the Trial – Noland Arbaugh

You can’t talk about Neuralink’s brain chips without mentioning the first patient participating in clinical trials. Noland Arbaugh is a 29-year-old U.S. citizen who suffered a serious spinal injury in a diving accident, leaving him quadriplegic.

He received the implant in January 2024. and for a while everything seemed to work great. He learned to control a mouse with just his thoughts and was seen playing chess online.

“(The Link) helped me reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It gave me the ability to do things on my own.” – Noland Arbaugh

However, everything went wrong when the system started malfunctioning. Almost 85% of the threads connecting his brain to the device began to retractwhich severely limits the system’s capabilities.

The company sent software update via wireless network to his implants with “faster and more lasting BPS improvements.” Neuralink assured that the minor mishap did not pose a threat to Arbaugh’s safety and that everything was back to normal.

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