NEURALINK, the brain implant company from Elon Musk, has revealed that 12 people across the world have now received its chips. It added that the patients have collectively used their devices for 2,000 days and accumulated over 15,000 hours of use. The number of people using Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) is up by five from June, when its partner Barrow Neurological Institute said seven people with severe paralysis had received the implants and were using them to control digital and physical tools using only their thoughts, according to media reports. It was back in September 2023 when Neuralink said it was accepting applications for its first human clinical trial to evaluate the safety of its BCI and assess the functionality of the implant. The company had been given permission from the U.S. FDA to begin its first in-human clinical study in May that year. Neuralink initially applied for FDA approval in early 2022 but the agency rejected it over several concerns, including issues with the lithium battery of the device, the possibility of the implant’s wires migrating within the brain, and the challenge of safely extracting the device without damaging brain tissue. In January 2024, Musk announced that the first human subject had received a BCI implant. A few weeks later, the CEO said the patient had fully recovered and was able to control a computer mouse using his thoughts alone. More details were released in March, when quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh said the implant allowed him to play chess on a screen just by thinking about moving the cursor. He also talked about being able to stay up until 6 a.m. playing “Civilization 6.” Arbaugh compared his newfound ability to having the Force powers of “Star Wars.” Neuralink received FDA approval to perform a second human brain chip implant a few months later. Using his new Neuralink implant in conjunction with the Quadstick, the quadriplegic patient was able to play “Counter-Strike 2,” simultaneously moving, aiming, and shooting without having to stop one action to initiate another, which is how he had previously been playing using the Quadstick alone. He simply had to think about where he wanted to aim, and the implant interpreted his request, providing the appropriate in-game inputs. The company passed another milestone in August this year when it performed its first-ever surgery outside of the U.S., part of a clinical trial in Canada. Other clinical studies are taking place in the U.K. and UAE. It’s not all positive for Neuralink. Its animal testing has drawn scrutiny, with reports of high mortality rates and allegations of rushed experiments to meet deadlines. Beyond technical risks, some ethicists warn about the long-term implications of brain-computer interfaces, such as privacy, security, and potential misuse. Supporters argue that Neuralink’s technology could transform the lives of people with paralysis and other conditions, but skeptics say the company’s ambitious promises often outpace proven results. (SD-Agencies) | 