Elon Musk on Wednesday said Neuralink will implant its brain-computer interface system into its second patient within a week and make changes to the hardware to ensure safety.
In a livestream, the owner announced that the company expects its patients will number in the “high single digits” by year’s end.
If Neuralink successfully implants its BCI into the second patient, it would be a massive step forward for the company, which has faced roadblocks this year.
Neuralink kicked off 2024 by implanting its first human patient, 29-year-old quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh. A few weeks after the procedure, Neuralink hosted a livestream showing him using the BCI to control a computer screen with just his mind.
While both Neuralink and Mr. Arbaugh attested to the brilliance of the technology, cracks soon showed. In May the company reported that several threads from his implant had retracted. While the company has issued fixes for the implant, the malfunction has limited the patient’s ability to use it, the company said.
During the Wednesday livestream, Neuralink said threads from future implants will be inserted farther into the patient’s brains to prevent more malfunctions.
Issues with Neuralink’s implants come after accusations of ethical impropriety from former employees and regulators. The workers said the company cut corners in animal testing, leading to avoidable creature deaths.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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