Elon Musk’s company improved the device with more electrodes and longer battery life; another 45 similar studies are underway
Elon Musk announced that his company Neuralink has performed the 3rd brain-computer interface implant in humans. The information was disclosed during an interview in Las Vegas, broadcast on platform X, on January 13, 2025.
The businessman did not provide details about the new patient, but stated that all 3 implanted “are doing well”. The company plans to expand testing to an additional 20 to 30 people in 2025.
The first 2 patients, both with spinal cord injuries, showed progress. The second, who received the implant in the summer of 2023, can play video games and use 3D design software. The former also reported the ability to play chess and video games.
Neuralink has improved the devices since the first implant about a year ago. Improvements include an increase in the number of electrodes, greater bandwidth and a longer-lasting battery.
The company differentiates itself by using a surgical robot to implant flexible electrodes in the brain, allowing the recording of neural activity and device control. However, experts point out that the benefits of this approach have yet to be proven.
More than 45 studies of brain-computer interfaces are underway globally. In Europe, the French startup Inclusive Brains is developing a non-invasive version of the technology. In 2023, researchers in France and Switzerland were able to restore the ability to walk to a paralyzed Dutch patient using 2 implants.
Neuralink obtained authorization from the (American regulatory agency) in 2023 to begin testing on humans. High-risk devices undergo rigorous oversight, including independent ethics committees. No brain-computer interface technology is commercially available to date.
