Neuralink brain chip patient plays chess using only his mind

Elon Musk’s Neuralink live-streamed Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old paralyzed from a diving accident, playing online chess using only his mind.

In a video that has garnered over 44.8 million views on social media platform X, Bliss Chapman, a Neuralink engineer, introduces Arbaugh as the first human patient to receive the Neuralink implant, calling Arbaugh his first telekinetic friend.

Arbaugh can be seen in the video demonstrating how the brain computer interface (BCI) works as he maneuvers the cursor across his computer screen using his brain, to play a game of chess.

He described the experience as akin to wielding ‘the Force’ on the cursor, drawing a comparison to the Jedi mind control from the Star Wars movie series.

Arbaugh admitted that the first time Neuralink’s engineers gave him complete control over the technology, he stayed up all night playing video games.

“I had basically given up on playing that game (Civilization 6), it’s a big game, and the amount of time it takes to sit on it is a lot, so I wasn’t able to play it as much as I wanted to, and you all gave me the ability to do that,” said Arbaugh.

Arbaugh also shared that he uses the technology to perform other tasks like reading, and is currently learning Japanese and French using the assistive technology.

The only challenge for him right now, according to Arbaugh, is waiting for the implant to charge after it runs out of battery.

While acknowledging the technology’s developmental stage, Arbaugh emphasized the life-changing impact of the implant, sharing how the things he is able to do right now would have been entirely impossible without the implant.

Arbaugh also shared that he will be dressing up for Halloween as Professor X, from X-Men, a paraplegic who has telekinetic powers.

Neuralink claims this marks a leap towards “telepathy,” allowing computer control purely through thought. However, independent verification and details regarding limitations are still pending. This development follows a 2021 video showcasing a monkey playing Pong using a similar Neuralink implant.

Neuralink, although popular, isn’t alone in this field. Australia’s Synchron offers a less invasive option that doesn’t require skull surgery. They successfully implanted their device in a patient last year.