Noland Arbaugh, a 30-year-old quadriplegic man from Yuma, Arizona, has become the first human recipient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant—a device that now allows him to control computers using only his thoughts.
“Sometimes I forget how impressive it is, because it’s so natural to me,” Arbaugh told The Guardian as he demonstrated playing chess, browsing the internet, and playing video games with swift cursor movements while his hands remained motionless on his wheelchair.
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Arbaugh was paralyzed in June 2016 after a swimming accident at age 22. For nearly eight years, he relied entirely on family members for basic needs and could only use computers through a mouth-controlled stick with conductive fabric, which he found frustrating and limiting.
In January 2024, just four months after applying to Neuralink’s first human trial, Arbaugh underwent surgery to have the coin-sized N1 chip implanted in his brain. According to The Guardian, the device contains 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 ultra-thin threads inserted into his motor cortex by a specialized robot.
The technology works by reading electrical signals produced by neurons—which still fire in paralyzed individuals but can’t transmit down damaged spinal cords—and converting them into computer commands. Initially, Arbaugh controlled the cursor by attempting to move his hand, but within two weeks, he could direct it through purely “imagined” movements.
“You’re not thinking about doing it—you’re just willing the cursor to go wherever you want,” he explained to The Guardian. “When I first moved it with imagined movement, it blew my mind.”
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The journey hasn’t been without setbacks. A month after surgery, Arbaugh began losing cursor control when engineers discovered 85% of the implant’s threads had retracted because his brain’s natural pulsing movement hadn’t been properly accounted for. Rather than performing another surgery, Neuralink adjusted the software to read groups of neuron signals instead of individual cells.
While Arbaugh has achieved typing speeds of nearly 25 words per minute, he acknowledges limitations of the first-generation technology. Two more participants have since received improved versions of the implant, according to The Guardian.
Musk’s ambitions extend far beyond current capabilities. The Guardian reported that he ultimately envisions the technology writing information back to the brain—potentially allowing users to experience new senses, restore vision to the blind, or bypass severed spinal cords entirely.
Arbaugh, who calls his implant “Eve,” recognizes potential ethical concerns, including privacy issues and the theoretical possibility of mind or body control. “At this point, it’s only reading my signals, but it will be able to write at some point, and sending signals into the brain can be scary,” he told The Guardian.
For now, Arbaugh dreams of connecting to a Tesla car or humanoid robot to gain independence. When the six-year study concludes, Neuralink will either remove his implant or switch it off—with no promises of an upgrade.
“I’m content with my lot in life,” Arbaugh said. “I was before Neuralink, and I will be again after. I’ll find a way.”
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