First Neuralink Wireless Brain Chip Implant in a Human

So tech billionaire Elon Musk is saying his Neuralink company has successfully implanted one of its wireless brain chips in a human for the first time. He made the announcement on X, his social media platform, saying the procedure happened on Sunday. He says the subject is recovering well and that initial results show a promising neuron spike detection. (00:21) Mr. Musk says the product has been given the name Telepathy and the plan is for it to enable control of a phone, computer, or almost any linked device just by thinking about them. Several rival companies have already implanted what are known as brain-computer interface systems in humans after tests were carried out initially on Monkeys. With more, here's on North America correspondent Peter Bowes.

What Elon Musk's Neuralink is trying to do is what a number of other companies have been attempting for quite a while now, and that is essentially to create a brain-computer interface that will allow a human being to carry out an action through thought alone. (01:07) Now it involves implanting a number of microchips into the brain that connect to a part of the brain that is responsible for movement intention. It has the effect that wirelessly it can send a signal to an app that can interpret a person's intentions. It sounds very futuristic, but according to Elon Musk, he says in a post on X, he elaborates a little bit saying that this device will enable control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device just by thinking. He says initial users will be those who have lost use of their limbs. It seems they're targeting people with debilitating neurological conditions. (01:51) Now it should be stressed that this study is in the early stages. His company was given the go-ahead only last year by US regulators to carry out this human trial, which is in the safety assessment stages. Clearly, there is a lot to assess over the following months and years? over whether this device will still be operating as it is designed after three months, six months, possibly a few years, and that the results will be scrutinized very closely. (02:22) So with that in mind, realistically and practically, it could be several years, if indeed it is shown to be successful, before this kind of thing is available on a wide scale.