Elon Musk’s neural interface company suffered a failure in its first human trial.
In a blog post Wednesday, Neuralink said several threads from the subject’s brain implant “retracted,” causing a serious reduction in effectiveness. According to the post, the company quickly moved to resolve the issue.
“In response to this change, we modified the recording algorithm to be more sensitive to neural population signals, improved the techniques to translate these signals into cursor movements, and enhanced the user interface,” the post reads.
Neuralink has not confirmed how many threads malfunctioned or why the incident occurred.
Neuralink began its first human trial in January when the company implanted the prototype brain implant into Noland Arbaugh, who is paralyzed from the neck down. The trial is expected to last six years, and Neuralink hopes it will greatly improve his cognitive abilities.
In March, the company hosted a live stream with Mr. Arbaugh showing off the tech. In the video, he can be seen moving a computer cursor with the help of the Neuralink brain implant.
This week’s malfunction has reignited fears surrounding the safety of Neuralink’s technology. In the lead-up to the firm’s first human trial, several former employees and watchdogs called into question the company’s safety record. The firm has been cited for not taking proper care to reduce the suffering of its animal subjects, and employees have accused the company of cutting corners.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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