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Neuralink, Elon Musk's ambitious brain-computer interface company, has encountered a setback with its first human implant.
The implant, surgically placed in the brain of Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic man, allowed him to control a computer using his thoughts.
However, a few weeks after the implant, Neuralink reported that the amount of data received from the device had significantly decreased.
Upon investigation, Neuralink discovered that several of the implant's threads, which were thinner than human hair and used to record neural signals, had retracted.
This retraction compromised the system's ability to measure the implant's speed and accuracy.
Neuralink responded by modifying its recording algorithm and enhancing the user interface, resulting in a rapid improvement in the system's performance.
Despite the issue, Arbaugh continues to use the Neuralink system for extended periods each day.
The implant's safety has not been compromised, and Neuralink considered but ultimately decided against removing it.
Neuralink's blog post on the matter was prompted by an inquiry from the Wall Street Journal, which had been informed of the issue by Arbaugh himself.
The implant was initially implanted in January 2024, and Neuralink had previously reported that the surgery went exceptionally well.
Source: Neuralink Says Its First Brain Chip Implant Has Encountered A Problem