Paralysed man who became first person to use Elon Musk’s Neuralink implant speaks out about life-changing impact

Noland Arbaugh was involved in a serious diving accident in 2016

A paralysed man who became the first person to use Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip has spoken out about how it’s changed his life.

SpaceX founder Musk set up Neuralink back in 2016 with the end goal of creating implantable computers in the human brain.

Noland Arbaugh, 30, is paralysed, having become a quadriplegic following a serious diving accident in 2016.

In January 2024, Noland became the first person to be fitted with the device.

The Neuralink chip works as a ‘brain computer interface’ (BCI) which detects electrical impulses generated when a person thinks about moving.

These are translated into digital, essentially allowing Noland to control a computer with his mind.

When Noland woke up after having the chip fitted, he was able to control a cursor by simply thinking about moving his hand.

“Honestly I didn’t know what to expect – it sounds so sci-fi,” he told BBC.

He’s now been able to play chess and video games again, something he never thought was possible.

“I grew up playing games,” Noland said.

“Now I’m beating my friends at games, which really shouldn’t be possible but it is.

“… We know so little about the brain and this is allowing us to learn so much more.”

Noland Arbaugh can move a computer cursor with just his mind (X/@Neuralink)

Noland has explained he hopes that eventually the chip could allow him to control his wheelchair, but it doesn’t come without its challenges.

He told the BBC that he had an issue with the chip which saw him lose control of his device when it ‘disconnected’ from his brain.

“That was really upsetting to say the least,” Noland said.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to use Neuralink ever again.”

Fortunately, the connection was repaired and improved.

Noland hopes that eventually the chip could allow him to control his wheelchair (X/@ModdedQuad)

The end goal for Neuralink is to help paralysed people walk again, with Musk saying on X: “Long-term, it is possible to shunt the signals from the brain motor cortex past the damaged part of the spine to enable people to walk again and use their arms normally.”

Meanwhile, Neuralink has said: “Our current work is focused on pushing cursor control performance to the same level as that of able-bodied individuals, and on expanding functionality to include text entry.

“In the future we intend to extend the Link’s functionality to the physical world to enable control of robotic arms, wheelchairs, and other technologies that may help increase independence for people living with quadriplegia.”