Neuralink, a technology startup co-founded by Elon Musk, has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct human trials for its brain implant.
The announcement was made via Neuralink’s official Twitter account on Thursday, expressing excitement about the FDA’s approval of their first-in-human clinical study.
The tweet also acknowledged the collaborative efforts between the Neuralink team and the FDA, marking an important milestone towards leveraging their technology to assist numerous individuals in the future.
Elon Musk commended the Neuralink team in a tweet on Friday, extending his congratulations.
These implants are designed to establish a direct interface between humans and computers. Musk has previously highlighted their potential to address disabilities by restoring vision and movement.
Notably, he gained attention last year when he expressed confidence in the device’s safety by mentioning his willingness to have his own children implanted with the technology.
The coin-sized implants have already undergone testing on monkeys and pigs, demonstrating promising outcomes.
During a presentation held by Neuralink in December of the previous year, live demonstrations showcased monkeys playing basic video games and maneuvering a cursor on a computer screen using the Neuralink chips implanted in their brains, as reported by CBS News.
Musk, who also spoke at the presentation, expressed the vision behind the technology, stating, “Initially, we would empower individuals with limited motor function to operate their phones faster than someone with fully functional hands. As incredible as it may sound, we are confident in our ability to restore full body functionality to individuals with severed spinal cords.”
