Noland Arbaugh, the first Neuralink patient in the world, has achieved a historic milestone by sharing a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) "just by thinking". At 29 years old and quadriplegic, Mr. Arbaugh is now recognized as the first person to compose a tweet using nothing but his mind, facilitated by Neuralink's cybernetic implant technology.
'Twitter banned me because they thought I was a bot, and @X and @elonmusk reinstated me because I am,' joked Mr Arbaugh.
Elon Musk responded to Mr. Arbaugh's tweet, hailing it as the "First ever post made just by thinking, using the Neuralink Telepathy device!"
In a previous update live-streamed by Neuralink Corp., Mr. Arbaugh showcased his ability to play video games and online chess using only his mind. During the stream, he demonstrated moving the cursor on a computer screen without the aid of any physical equipments. He clarified that he accomplishes this by merely envisioning the cursor's movement, which translates into action.
"I had given up playing that game," he said, referring to the game Civilization VI, "You all (Neuralink) gave me the ability to do that again and played for 8 hours straight."
Mr. Arbaugh, aged 29, recounted sustaining a spinal cord injury during a "freak diving accident" eight years ago. At the time of the incident in 2016, he was employed as a summer camp counselor for children. This accident rendered him quadriplegic. Additionally, he mentioned being discharged from the hospital just one day after the successful Neuralink procedure in January. He emphasized that while the procedure went smoothly, there remains further refinement needed for the technology.
Neuralink, a brain technology startup established by Elon Musk, has developed an implant enabling patients to control a computer using their thoughts. Mr. Musk has outlined the company's initial focus on collaborating with patients experiencing severe physical limitations such as cervical spinal cord impairment or quadriplegia.
The objective of the company is to establish connections between human brains and computers to aid in addressing intricate neurological conditions.
