In a first in UK, Neuralink enables paralysed man to control computer, explores playing video games with his thoughts

A man “paralysed due to motor neuron disease” received his Neuralink implant at the University College London Hospitals and he can now “control a computer with his thoughts.”

Neuralink Corp., billionaire Elon Musk’s brain implant company, posted on X on Monday, informing about the first Neuralink implant in the UK.

The company said, “We’re excited to announce our first participant in the UK!”

“Paul, who is paralyzed due to motor neuron disease, received his Neuralink implant at @uclh earlier this month and was able to control a computer with his thoughts just hours after surgery,” the company added.

“He’s now working with our engineers to explore using the implant to play his favorite video games like Dawn of War and perform other tasks that could enrich and restore autonomy in his daily life,” the company added in a series of posts on X.

“This marks an important step toward making our technology available to help people around the world,” it said.

In July, Neuralink had said it will launch a clinical study in Great Britain to test its chips, partnering with University College London Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals to conduct the research.

The company secured $650 million in a funding round in June.

What is Neuralink?

Neuralink is one of several companies developing brain-computer interfaces, which enable direct communication between the brain and electronic devices.

The company has raised more than $1 billion and was valued at $9 billion in its most recent fundraising round, but it has yet to publish peer-reviewed human data, Bloomberg reported.

Outside scientists could use those results to independently evaluate how well its devices work.

What Neuralink wants?

As per reports, the company aims to implant its chips in 20,000 people per year by 2031, and generate at least $1 billion in annual revenue.

Neuralink has “a vision to apply a link to just about anybody who could have a possible need for it,” Michael Lawton, chief executive officer and president of the Barrow Neurological Institute, a Neuralink clinical trial site, said on a panel moderated by Bloomberg News at the conference Friday.

He said the company is “a long way” from doing this for a healthy person. “They’ve been very meticulous about focusing on diseased patients with disability,” he said.

Neuralink to expand its ambit

Neuralink’s implant is designed to help people with conditions such as spinal cord injury. The first patient has used it to play video games, browse the internet, post on social media and move a cursor on a laptop.

In addition to its device that helps people control computers, Neuralink is also working on chips to restore vision, read speech from the brain, and treat Parkinson’s.

The brain-implant company Neuralink is planning to launch a trial in October aimed at helping people with speech impairments translate their thoughts into text, the company’s president said.

Dongjin “D.J.” Seo told an audience at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Seoul this week that the study targets people who have lost the ability to speak, enabling them “to go directly from brain to voice without any keyboards in between.”

“If you’re imagining saying something, we would be able to pick that up,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)