The man who acts as a “guinea pig” for Elon Musk’s chip in the brain to control the computer with thought

Noland Arbaugh tells the BBC how to be the first neuralink patient changed her life

Having a brain chip capable of translating your thoughts into controls on a computer may seem like science fiction, but it is a reality for Naland Arbaugh.

In January 2024, eight years after being stopped, on 30 of 30 years he became the first person to receive such a device from the American Neurolk Neurotechnology Company.

Although it was not the first chip of its kind – many other companies have also developed and implemented similar devices – the case of Arbaugh inevitably attracts more attention due to the founder of Neuralk: Elon Musk.

However, Arbaugh says that the most important thing is neither musk, but science behind it.

He told the BBC that he was aware of the risks involved, but he believed that “it is good or bad, whatever happens, he would help”.

“If all goes well, then I can help to be a participant in Neuralink,” he said. “If something terrible happens, I know they will learn from it.”

‘Without control and no privacy’

Arbaugh, born in Arizona, was paralyzed under her shoulders in a diving accident in 2016. His wounds were so serious that she feared that she could not study, work or even play video games.

“You don’t just control, there is no privacy, and it’s difficult,” he said. “You have to learn to depend on other people for everything.”

The neuralk chip tries to restore part of its previous independence, allowing him to control a computer with his mind.

It is a brain interface (BCI), which works by detecting the small electrical impulses generated when humans think of moving them and translating them into digital controls, such as moving the cursor to the screen.

It is a complex field in which scientists have been working for several decades.

Inevitably, Elon Musk’s involvement in the field of neurotechnology has catapulted both the technology and Naland Arbaugh for titles.

This helped Neuralk to attract large investments, as well as generating control over the safety and relevance of such an invasive procedure.

When the Arbaugh plant was announced, the experts considered it a “milestone”, although they warned that it would take time for a real evaluation, especially considering Musk’s ability to “generate advertising for his company”.

At the time, Musk was reserved in public, simply by writing in a post on social networks: “The initial results show a promising detection of neuronal peaks”.

In fact, Arbaugh said that the billionaire – with whom she spoke before and after the intervention – was much more optimistic.

“I think it was excited as I started,” he said.

However, he underlines that Neuralink is more than his owner and says he does not consider him “a Musk Elon device”.

If the rest of the world sees it in this way, especially considering Musk’s increasingly controversial role in the United States government – it is still an open problem.

However, there is no doubt that the device had on Arbaugh’s life.

“This should not be possible”

When Arbaugh woke up from the intervention that implemented the device, he said he initially managed to check the cursor on the screen just thinking of moving his fingers.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect – it seemed something science fiction,” he said.

But when he saw his neurons shooting on the screen – surrounded by Animated Employees of Neuralink – he realized he could control the computer only with his thoughts.

And even better, over time, its ability to use the system has grown to the point that it can now play plaid and video games.

“I grew up playing,” he said, adding that it was something he had to “give up” when he became disabled. “Now I’m winning my friends in the games, which should not be possible, but it is.”

Arbaugh is a powerful demonstration of the potential of technology to transform lives, but there may also be disadvantages.

“One of the main problems is privacy,” said Anil Seth, professor of neuroscience at the University of Sussex. “If we are exporting our brain activity […] So, in a sense, we allow access not only to what we do, but potentially what we think, what we believe in and what we feel, “he told the BBC”. Once you have access to what is inside your head, there are no more obstacles to personal privacy. “

However, these concerns do not affect Arbaugh: he wants to see chips further evolve into what they can do.

In an interview with the BBC, he said he expects the device to the end allows him to check his wheelchair or even a futuristic humanoid robot.

Even with technology still in a more limited phase, not everything was easy.

At some point, a problem of the device made you lose complete computer control when the system partially disconnected from its brain.

“This was really frustrating to say nothing else,” he said. “I didn’t know if it would be possible to use neuralk again.”

The connection was repaired – and subsequently improved – when the engineers regulated the software, but the accident highlighted a concern often raised by the experts on the limits of this technology.

Great business

Neuralk is just one of the many companies that are exploring ways to digitally access the power of our brain.

Synchron is one of those companies, which claims that its device is struggling, aimed at helping people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (IH), requires less invasive surgery to be distributed. Instead of requesting open brain surgery, the device is installed in the jugular vein of the neck and then directed to the brain through a blood vessel.

Like Neuralink, the device finally connects to the brain engine region.

“Note when someone is thinking of playing finger or not,” explained the director of technology Riki Bannerjee. “When he is able to identify these differences, he can create what we call the digital engine output.”

This output is therefore transformed into computer signals and is currently used by 10 people.

One of these people, who refused to reveal his surname, told the BBC that he was the first to use the device with Apple’s Vision Pro cap.

Mark told him that he allowed him to have a virtual holiday in distant places – from being in waterfalls in Australia to walk along the mountains in New Zealand.

“I can see in the future a world in which this technology can really make a difference for someone who has this condition or any type of paralysis,” he said.

But for Arbaugh, there is a warning with his Neuralink chip: he agreed to participate in a study that would have implanted the device for six years, after which the future becomes less clear.

Regardless of what happens to him, Arbaugh believes that his experience can only be the beginning of what one day can become a reality.

“We know little about the brain and this is allowing us to learn much more,” he said.

Additional report by Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.