Neuralink’s First Brain Chip Implant in Human Skull Faces Major Setback

Neuralink, the brainchild of tech mogul Elon Musk, faced a major setback as its first chip implant in a human being’s skull began to detach from the patient’s brain. Noland Arbaugh, the patient who underwent the surgery in February to attach the Neuralink chip to his brain, experienced a decrease in functionality within a month after the implant as the device’s threads connecting the miniature computer to the brain started to retract.

The exact cause of the detachment has not been disclosed by Neuralink, but the company’s engineers were able to refine the implant and restore functionality for the patient. Despite the setback, reports from the Wall Street Journal suggest that Arbaugh’s capabilities were not significantly affected, as he was still able to play a game of chess on a computer using his thoughts.

There were considerations about removing the implant after the detachment issue came to light, but Arbaugh had previously praised the implant during a demonstration in March, stating that it had already changed his life, despite some issues encountered during the process.

Neuralink has come under scrutiny even before the human implant, as the company conducted extensive experiments on animals like sheep, pigs, and monkeys. Regulators launched investigations into the company’s practices at these animal testing labs, citing quality control and recordkeeping problems at one California research facility.

As the company continues to navigate these challenges, the future of Neuralink’s brain implant technology remains uncertain.