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Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, reports that there has been no thread retraction issue with the second implant participant, Alex. After the surgery, Alex could control the mouse cursor, use Fusion 360 software, and play Counter-Strike 2.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted Neuralink to continue the procedure in May 2024, and the company began preparations in July.
According to Neuralink, his recovery has been smooth. Shortly after connecting the Link to his computer, Alex controlled a cursor with his mind in under five minutes.
During his first session, Alex surpassed previous benchmarks set by non-Neuralink BCI devices, including breaking a world record for BCI cursor control. He later used the Link to play the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike 2.
“Within a few hours, he was able to surpass the maximum speed and accuracy he’d achieved with any other assistive technology on our Webgrid task,” said the company.
Before his spinal surgery, Alex worked as an automotive technician. In the days following the implant, he began exploring computer-aided design (CAD) software, specifically Fusion 360.
On his second day of the Link, he designed a custom mount for his Neuralink charger, which was subsequently 3D printed. The company reports that it is working with Alex to refine the Link’s functionality for use in CAD software, allowing for a greater range of controls and actions.
Alex continues to engage in gaming, using the Link with a Quadstick, a mouth-operated joystick. This combination has enabled him to move and aim simultaneously in first-person shooter games, a previously limited capability due to the constraints of using the Quadstick alone.
Several ethics groups are against Neuralink primarily due to the deaths of primates during the testing. While Elon Musk claims that the primates died because the company selected terminally ill specimens, the ethics groups have urged the US government to launch an investigation.
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