Featured Image Credit: NeuraNova9/X
Topics: Elon Musk, Science, Technology, Neuralink
Ellie Kemp
One of the latest people to be fitted with a Neuralink chip has been able to write her name for the first time in two decades.
At 16 years old, Audrey Crews was severely injured in a 2005 car accident which damaged the C4 and C5 vertebrae in her neck.
She has been quadriplegic ever since, meaning she's been unable to use any of her limbs.
Yet, since undergoing surgery for Elon Musk's brain-computer interface (BCI) chip in mid-July, she's been able to regain some independency.
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The chip - smaller than a 50 cent coin - is inserted into the skull with microscopic wires.
It works by targeting individual neurons, while ultra-thin wires with electrodes record brain activity and transmit it to external devices via Bluetooth, allowing users to control computers with just their thoughts.
Musk founded Neuralink in 2016, but it wasn’t until 2023 that the FDA approved human trials. And already, the results have been pretty remarkable.
Audrey, the first woman to have undergone the surgery, has taken to social media to share her progress with the chip.
She revealed she had hit a major milestone on Sunday (July 27) - Audrey was able to write her name on a computer using her thoughts.
"I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. Im working on it. Lol #Neuralink," she posted on Twitter.
Musk responded, adding: "She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realize this is possible."
Audrey has gone on to share doodles she's created - which are probably better than what a lot of us could do with the use of our hands, if I'm being real - adding that she was 'taking requests'.
Now, she has hopes of writing a book about her journey, sharing to X: "I've been a quadriplegic since the age of 16 so I have lots to tell."
Audrey is one of the latest patients to receive the implant after Noland Arbaugh became Neuralink’s first in January 2024.
A total of nine people have now had Neuralink implanted, according to the company.
While Neuralink is helping paralyzed patients, Musk hopes it can one day be used for 'human/AI symbiosis'.
Yes, that's as terrifying as it sounds.
Essentially; the chip could help improve our memory and cognitive abilities - and allow us to do slightly scary things, like saving and replaying memories.
While that may sound like science fiction, it could soon be a reality - for a price...