Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🧠 Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, is gearing up for its first human trials after gaining approval.
- 🏥 These trials aim to address various ailments, including limb function issues and depression.
- 🤖 Neuralink is particularly looking for patients with quadriplegia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to participate in the initial human trials.
- 🚀 Elon Musk believes Neuralink’s technology has the potential to restore full-body movement and significantly improve human-to-AI communication.
- 📅 The initial tests will be part of the PRIME study (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface), and the FDA granted approval for the trials in May 2023.
- 🦾 Musk envisions combining Neuralink with Optimus robot limbs to achieve remarkable results, likening it to the “Luke Skywalker solution.”
- 🗓️ Musk had previously suggested that the first human trial would begin by the end of 2023, and this announcement indicates progress toward that goal.
Elon Musk claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Neuralink would soon get its first human patient as human trials are set to begin soon.
Yesterday, Neuralink gained approval to begin recruiting humans for its initial clinical trials, which will aim to solve various ailments, including limb function and depression.
Neuralink stated on its X account that it is looking for patients who have quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, you may qualify to participate in the first human trials.
Musk commented on the potential of Neuralink, which has been in development for several years:
“The first human patient will soon receive a Neuralink device. This ultimately has the potential to restore full-body movement.”
Musk said he believes Neuralink will play a major role in AI risk civilizational risk reduction by improving human-to-AI bandwidth by “several orders of magnitude.”
The initial tests will eventually be known as the PRIME study, or “Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface.” The company continued to move toward the first tests by gaining federal approval for the initial human trials. The FDA granted the company an IDE, or investigational device exemption, in May 2023.
Musk believes that the quality of life for those who have these diseases can be vastly improved with a Neuralink device, especially when it is combined with Optimus robot limbs.
“The Luke Skywalker solution can become real,” Musk said.
Musk has maintained for most of the year that Neuralink would likely begin its first human trial by the end of this year.
In mid-June, he said at the VivaTech event in Paris that the first case would likely come by the end of 2023, and it seems that it is moving in that direction, especially after the announcement yesterday.
