The first person to receive a Neuralink brain implant has revealed that one of the first things they did was stay up all night playing Civilization 6.
Neuralink was founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and a number of scientists to develop a way for humans to communicate with technology using neural signals. The company hoped the tech would improve the lives of people living with paralysis, offering them more control over their own lives.
At the start of the year, Musk confirmed Neuralink had implanted its first “brain-computer” interface in the head of a patient and, in February, said the unnamed person had made a full recovery and was now able to control a computer cursor by thought alone.
Enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.
Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs.
Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 30, 2024
Now, a new Neuralink video has revealed more about the process and its effects, including the ability for users to play games like Civilization 6.
According to the livestream, the patient was 29-year-old complete quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh who suffered paralysis from the shoulders down after a driving accident in 2016.
Arbaugh said he wanted to take part in the trial because he felt the tech could “change the world” with the video showcasing his ability to play digital chess and pause music playing in the background of the computer. He went on to liken it to “using the force”.
“I could just stare somewhere at the screen, and [the cursor] would move where I wanted it to, which was such a wild experience,” he added.
— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024
Arbaugh went on to say that one of the first times he was given complete control over the Neuralink technology, he “stayed up until 6am playing Civilization 6” which he hadn’t been able to do since the accident. “It wasn’t feasible for me to play but now I can literally just lie in bed and play to my heart’s content. Honestly the biggest restriction at this point was having to wait for the implant to charge,” he said.
Arbaugh has also been able to use the Neuralink technology to play Mario Kart 8: Deluxe [via IGN]. “That blew my mind,” said Arbaugh. “I didn’t think that would be possible a week into using it, [but] that was freaking wild, even though my dad and my buddy wouldn’t let me win.”
“It’s not perfect. I don’t want people to think this is the end of the journey, there is still a lot of work to be done, but it has already changed my life,” he added.
In 2022, an ALS Patient with complete paralysis used a new brain implant to ask to hear a Tool album.
In other news, the upcoming Control spin-off multi-player game Condor will not be free-to-play.