Key points from article :
Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neuralink has launched its first human clinical trial in the UK, aiming to help people with severe paralysis control digital devices using only their thoughts. The study, conducted in collaboration with University College London Hospitals and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, makes the UK the first European country to host such a trial. The procedure involves surgically implanting Neuralink’s N1 chip under the skull of seven participants who have lost significant motor function due to conditions like ALS or spinal cord injury.
Neuralink’s N1 chip is a coin-sized brain-computer interface (BCI) device that connects to the brain via 128 ultra-thin threads. These threads read neural activity and translate it into digital commands, enabling users to interact with smartphones, tablets, or computers hands-free. This UK trial builds on earlier experiments in the US, where several participants, including Arizona patient Noland Arbaugh, successfully used the chip to play video games and operate devices with their minds. Despite technical issues, such as signal loss from implanted threads, software updates have helped maintain the chip’s performance.
Founded in 2016, Neuralink has raised $1.3 billion and is valued at nearly $9 billion. The UK study has received approval from the country’s medical regulator and will use Neuralink’s proprietary robotic system for the implant procedures. According to UCL’s Professor Harith Akram, this research represents a major milestone in developing technology that could restore independence for people with profound disabilities.
While the current trials focus on medical applications, Musk envisions a future where Neuralink’s technology could enhance human abilities, potentially enabling memory uploading, vision restoration, or even AI-human symbiosis. Though such ambitions remain speculative, the UK trial marks a significant step toward bringing advanced BCI technology closer to real-world clinical use.
