Elon Musk’s Neuralink company has officially implanted its N1 brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in seven individuals, according to a recent statement from the company’s surgical partner, Barrow Neurological Institute.
“Today, Neuralink released a special update that recognized PRIME Study patients’ contributions to research,” the institute wrote in a posting on X. Of the seven recipients of Neuralink’s N1 implant so far, six underwent the procedure at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, according to the statement.
The goal of the study is to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of three components: the N1 implant, the R1 surgical robot, and the N1 User App, as outlined in the program.
To date, no brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, on May 1, Elon Musk’s Neuralink announced on X that it had received a breakthrough device designation (not full approval) from the FDA. The designation applies to its BCI device, which is designed to help restore communication for individuals with severe speech impairments.
However, complications with the first participant, Noland Arbaugh, did occur in the first year following his surgery in 2023. Arbaugh experienced medical issues when some of the threads connecting the interface to his brain retracted. Neuralink responded quickly, updating the chip’s algorithm, a change the company says successfully resolved the problem.
Arbaugh was the first person to receive the N1 Implant. After his Spinal Cord Injury, he relied on a mouth stick and tablet to interact with the outside world. Since receiving his implant, Arbaugh has been using the Neuralink device to play video games, learn Japanese, and gain a deeper understanding of neurology, particularly in relation to the “The Link” brain interface.
This past January marked one year since The Link’s first BCI transplant. “Today is the one-year anniversary of [Arbaugh] becoming the first person to receive our implant,” the Neuralink social media team recently said on X. “To Noland and our other trial participants: thank you for helping us create the best assistive technology we can. Innovation is impossible without pioneers like you.”
Neuralink has seen a quick ramp-up, with seven participants now using the N1 Link device on a daily basis. There are currently fewer than 100 people worldwide who have been implanted with brain-computer interfaces, a tiny number compared to the more than 8 billion people on the planet today. To put this into perspective, even if the implanted BCI count rises to 200 globally in the next year, that’s still just ~0.0000025% of the global population.
Currently, several nations are competing to develop such technologies. Organizations such as the Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and NeuCyber NeuroTech, both located in China, are rapidly developing and producing brain-computer interfaces, closely following Neuralink’s lead by successfully implanting chips in three human participants to date.
“Next year, after getting regulatory approval, we will do formal clinical trials that will include around 50 patients,” said Luo Minmin, director of CIBR and NeuCyber’s chief scientist, to reporters at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing.
Who will ultimately win the global race to pioneer brain-computer interface technology remains to be seen. However, NeuCyber NeuroTech has stated that it plans to increase its number of implant recipients to 13 by the end of 2025, introducing all new competition for U.S.-based companies like Neuralink.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com.