The story of the man with a chip implanted in his brain – which can translate thoughts into computer commands

Having a chip in your brain that can translate thoughts into computer commands may sound like science fiction – but it's a reality for Noland Arbaugh.

In January 2024 – eight years after he was paralyzed – the 30-year-old became the first person to be “fitted” with such a device by American neurotechnology firm Neuralink.

It wasn't the first such chip – a handful of other companies have also developed and implanted them – but Noland inevitably attracts more attention because of Neuralink's founder: Elon Musk.

But Noland says the important thing is neither him nor Musk - but science, foreign media write, reports Telegraph.

He told the BBC he knew the risks of what he was doing - but "good or bad, whatever it is, I would help".

“If everything worked out, then I could help be a part of Neuralink,” he said. “If something terrible happened, I knew they would learn from it.”

"No control, no privacy"

Noland, who is from Arizona, was paralyzed below the shoulders in a diving accident in 2016.

His injuries were so severe that he feared he might not be able to study, work, or even play games again.

"You just have no control, no privacy, and it's hard," he said. "You have to learn that you have to rely on other people for everything."

And the Neuralink chip appears to restore some of his former independence, allowing him to control a computer with his mind.

It's what's known as a brain-computer interface (BCI) – which works by detecting the tiny electrical impulses created when people think about moving, and translating them into digital commands, like moving a cursor on a screen.

It is certainly a complex topic that scientists have been working on for several decades.

Inevitably, though, Elon Musk's involvement in the field has catapulted the technology – and Noland Arbaugh – into the headlines.

It has helped Neuralink attract a lot of investment – ​​as well as review the safety and importance of what is an extremely invasive procedure.

When Noland's implant was announced, experts hailed it as "a significant milestone," while also warning that it would take time to truly appreciate — especially given Musk's skill at "generating publicity for his company."

In reality, Noland said, the billionaire – who he spoke to before and after his surgery – was much more optimistic.

"I think he was as excited as I was to get started," he recalls.

However, he emphasizes that Neuralink is about more than its owner and claims that he does not consider it "an Elon Musk device."

'This shouldn't be possible'

When Noland woke up from the surgery that installed the device, he said he was initially able to control a cursor on a screen by thinking about moving his fingers.

"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect – it sounds so science fiction," he said.

Surrounded by excited Neuralink employees the entire time – he said “everything sank in” when he realized he could control his computer with just his thoughts.

And – even better – over time his ability to use the implant has increased to the point that he can now play chess and video games.

"Now I'm beating my friends in different competitions, which really shouldn't be possible, but it is."

Noland is a powerful demonstration of technology's potential to change lives – but it can also have its flaws.

"One of the main problems is privacy," says Anil Seth, professor of Neuroscience, University of Sussex.

"So if we are exporting our brain activity - then we are allowing access not only to what we do, but potentially to what we think, what we believe and what we feel," he told the BBC.

"Once you have access to things inside your head, there's really no other barrier left to personal privacy."

But these are not concerns for Noland – instead he wants to see the chips go further in terms of what they can do.

He told the BBC that he hoped the device could eventually allow him to control his wheelchair, or even a futuristic humanoid robot.

Recall that Neuralink is just one of many companies exploring how to digitally harness the power of our brains.

Synchron is one such firm, which says its Stentrode device aimed at helping people with motor neurone disease requires a less invasive surgery to implant.

Instead of requiring open brain surgery, it is installed in a person's jugular vein in the neck, and then moved to their brain through a blood vessel.

Like Neuralink, the device ultimately connects to the motor region of the brain. /Telegraph/