Neuralink Begins Second Human Trials

Summary

Elon Musk's Neuralink has made progress with its brain implant trials, having completed its first human implant and preparing for a second. The first patient, paralyzed from a past accident, has demonstrated impressive results, including using a computer via thought control. However, there were setbacks, such as thread retractions due to air pockets and brain movement, which Neuralink aims to address in future surgeries. The ultimate goal is to enable superhuman capabilities, including controlling devices and even restoring vision. Challenges like security risks remain, but the technology continues to evolve, promising transformative applications.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Neuralink's second human trial is expected to start within the next two weeks after a slight delay due to a patient's withdrawal.
• 👨‍⚕️ The first patient, Nolan Arbaugh, successfully underwent the procedure in January 2024, experiencing no side effects and using the implant to control a computer cursor with his mind.
• 🎮 Nolan has already surpassed standard cursor control speed, achieving 9.5 bits per second, double his previous record, and using the implant for up to 69 hours a week.
• 🔋 The N1 chip used in the trial has a battery life of 4-5 hours with a charging time of 45 minutes, which Nolan manages using an inductive coil in his beanie.
• ⚠️ Challenges arose when 85% of the electrode threads implanted into Nolan's brain retracted, but Neuralink has made software improvements to restore functionality.
• 🧑‍🔬 The retraction was caused by two main factors: air pockets in the brain and unexpected brain movement, leading Neuralink to make adjustments for future surgeries.
• 📐 Neuralink plans to improve future procedures by targeting specific areas of the brain's surface and inserting threads at varying depths between 4mm and 7.2mm.
• 🔧 The second-gen implant will feature fewer electrodes per thread but is expected to increase overall bandwidth and precision, with a possible upgrade to 3,000 channels.
• 🤖 Neuralink aims to enable users to control robotic devices and wheelchairs via Bluetooth and has teased potential connections with Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus.
• 🔒 Security concerns remain a challenge, as Nolan mentioned that while the current functionality is limited, future enhancements could raise significant hacking risks.

Q & A

What is the significance of Neuralink's second human trial?

Neuralink's second human trial is significant because it will use an upgraded version of the Neuralink device, addressing some issues from the first trial and bringing the company closer to its goal of unlocking superhuman capabilities.

Why was the second human trial delayed?

The second human trial was delayed because the patient candidate had to withdraw due to health concerns. However, these concerns were unrelated to the brain implant procedure itself.

What were the results of the first Neuralink trial?

The first Neuralink trial, involving patient Nolan Arbaugh, was successful. Nolan experienced no negative side effects and was able to control a computer cursor using his brain, surpassing the capabilities of a traditional mouse in terms of speed and accuracy.

What issues arose during the first Neuralink trial?

One issue during the first trial was that some of the electrode threads implanted in Nolan's brain began to retract, cutting off communication between the brain and the implant. Only 15% of the electrodes remained functional, but software improvements restored Nolan's brain-computer interface capabilities.

What solutions does Neuralink propose for the thread retraction issue?

To address thread retraction, Neuralink plans to avoid air pockets during surgery and target only the high points of the brain's surface. They will also insert the threads at varying depths to ensure better stability and connectivity.

How does brain movement affect Neuralink's procedure?

The human brain moves about 3 mm, even when a person is sitting still, making precise targeting of electrode threads difficult. This was not anticipated based on smaller animal trials, and Neuralink plans to adjust thread depth and placement to account for this.

How does the Neuralink device interface with Nolan's brain?

The Neuralink device uses threads implanted in Nolan's brain that detect bioelectric pulses created by neuron activation. These signals are transmitted to a nearby computer via Bluetooth, allowing Nolan to control a cursor with his thoughts.

What advancements have been made in Nolan's brain-computer interface performance?

Nolan set a world record of 4.6 bits per second (BPS) for cursor control on day one, which later improved to 9.5 BPS, doubling his previous record. His accuracy and speed are now beyond the capabilities of traditional mouse users.

What future capabilities does Neuralink aim to develop?

Neuralink aims to enable users to communicate faster than any average human using digital telepathy. Future developments also include potential solutions for blindness and controlling external devices like electric wheelchairs or humanoid robots.

What are the potential security concerns associated with Neuralink?

One concern is the possibility of hacking. While the current version of Neuralink has limited functionality, as the technology advances, the risks of hacking and privacy breaches will increase, raising concerns about its future security.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Neuralink's First Human Trial Progress and Delays

Elon Musk and the Neuralink team have given an update on their first human trial, announcing that the second human patient will undergo surgery soon with an upgraded device. Although progress has been a mix of successes and challenges, the team is making strides toward their goal of enhancing human capabilities. The second trial was delayed due to the withdrawal of the original candidate, and improvements to the device and procedure are being implemented.

05:01

💻 Nolan Arbaugh's Experience with the Neuralink Implant

Nolan Arbaugh, Neuralink's first human patient, had his brain implant surgery in January 2024. The surgery was successful, and Nolan experienced no side effects, allowing him to control a computer cursor using only his thoughts. Nolan uses the device up to 69 hours a week and has surpassed previous world records for cursor speed, now operating at 9.5 bits per second. Despite some issues with retracting electrode threads, software improvements have restored much of the implant's functionality.

10:03

🧠 Challenges of Brain Surgery and Electrode Retraction

Neuralink encountered challenges when some electrode threads retracted from Nolan's brain, due to air pockets and unexpected brain movement. The brain can shrink during surgery due to CO2 adjustments, and in this case, the air pocket shifted, affecting the implant. Neuralink is adjusting future surgeries to avoid these issues, including new techniques for targeting and inserting electrodes more precisely at varied depths, enhancing stability.

🤖 Advancing Neuralink Technology and Expanding Capabilities

Neuralink plans to improve its implants by reducing electrode density and focusing on precise neuron targeting, potentially increasing data bandwidth. Elon Musk envisions future implants offering superhuman communication capabilities through digital telepathy. Neuralink's technology could also aid people with disabilities, allowing them to control robots or electric wheelchairs, enhancing mobility and independence.

🎮 Digital Telepathy and Gaming with Neuralink

Nolan Arbaugh discussed his experience using Neuralink to play video games during a podcast. He explained that the implant offers faster and more accurate control than traditional methods, resembling an in-built 'aimbot.' This technology could revolutionize how humans interface with computers, offering a significant boost in efficiency. However, security concerns arise as the potential for hacking grows with the device’s increased capabilities.

Keywords

💡Neuralink

Neuralink is a company founded by Elon Musk focused on developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In the video, Neuralink's progress is discussed, including their first human trial and how the brain implant allows paralyzed individuals like Nolan Arbaugh to interact with technology through thought alone. The company's ultimate goal is to unlock superhuman capabilities.

💡Brain-computer interface (BCI)

A brain-computer interface is a system that connects the brain to external devices, enabling direct communication between the brain and technology. In the video, the Neuralink BCI allows Nolan to control a computer cursor just by thinking about it, enhancing his independence after being paralyzed. This technology is central to Neuralink's goals of augmenting human capabilities.

💡Nolan Arbaugh

Nolan Arbaugh is the first human patient to receive the Neuralink brain implant. After his surgery in January 2024, Nolan was able to control a computer cursor through thought alone. His experience, including setting a new record for cursor control speed, exemplifies the potential success and challenges of the Neuralink technology.

💡Electrode threads

Electrode threads are thin wires implanted into the brain that connect to the Neuralink device, allowing it to detect neuron signals. The video mentions how 64 threads were inserted into Nolan's brain but some of them retracted, reducing the device's functionality. However, the remaining threads have stabilized, and improvements to the software have restored his brain-computer interface.

💡Air pocket

An air pocket refers to a small gap created between the brain and skull during surgery, which can cause issues with electrode thread placement. In the video, this air pocket moved, causing some threads in Nolan’s brain to retract. Neuralink plans to avoid this in future surgeries by keeping normal CO2 levels and sculpting the skull surface to reduce the gap.

💡Motor cortex

The motor cortex is the region of the brain responsible for controlling voluntary movements. Neuralink’s device targets this area to help patients like Nolan regain control over technology by translating brain activity into cursor movements. The motor cortex's importance in the implant’s functioning is emphasized as it is the primary area being monitored by Neuralink.

💡Digital telepathy

Digital telepathy refers to the idea of transmitting thoughts and information directly from the brain to a digital device without the need for verbal communication. The video discusses Elon Musk’s vision of using Neuralink to achieve this, allowing users to communicate faster and more efficiently with computers, potentially even transmitting complex ideas instantly.

💡Thread retraction

Thread retraction is a setback Neuralink experienced when some of the electrode threads implanted into Nolan's brain retracted, cutting off communication between his brain and the implant. The video explains this phenomenon and how Neuralink is adjusting its future surgeries to prevent it, such as by placing the threads deeper or avoiding certain brain folds.

💡CO2 concentration

CO2 concentration refers to the level of carbon dioxide in the body, which surgeons manipulate during brain surgery to shrink the brain and create more working space. In the video, it is noted that changing CO2 levels created an air pocket that led to thread retraction. Neuralink plans to maintain normal CO2 levels in future surgeries to prevent this issue.

💡Superhuman capabilities

Superhuman capabilities are the ultimate goal of Neuralink, referring to enhancing human abilities beyond normal limitations through technology. The video discusses how Elon Musk envisions Neuralink enabling people to communicate faster than normal speech, interact with technology at higher speeds, and potentially gain abilities like digital telepathy and improved vision.

Highlights

Neuralink's second human implant trial is set to proceed within two weeks, following a slight delay caused by a patient withdrawal due to unrelated health concerns.

The first Neuralink human patient, Nolan Arbaugh, successfully underwent surgery in January 2024, and experienced no negative side effects from the brain implant.

Nolan can now control a computer mouse with his brain, enabling him to browse the web and play video games without the use of physical input.

Nolan achieved a brain-computer interface record of 9.5 bits per second (BPS), doubling his initial record of 4.6 BPS.

Neuralink has identified two major issues: thread retraction due to an air pocket in the skull and brain movement during and after surgery.

Neuralink plans to address these issues by maintaining normal CO2 levels during surgery and by targeting more stable areas of the brain for electrode placement.

Future Neuralink surgeries will place threads at varying depths in the brain, ranging from 4mm to 7.2mm, to improve stability.

Neuralink's Gen 2 implant will reduce the number of electrodes per thread, aiming to double the bandwidth by improving placement accuracy.

Elon Musk envisions future Neuralink devices allowing users to communicate ideas digitally, bypassing language entirely through telepathy.

Neuralink is working on a solution for blindness by stimulating the visual cortex, with early results showing promise in animals.

Neuralink aims to integrate its brain-computer interface with Tesla's humanoid robot, enabling paralyzed individuals to control robotic limbs or full robots.

Neuralink plans to help paralyzed individuals operate electric wheelchairs through Bluetooth communication with the implant.

Elon Musk has proposed using multiple Neuralink devices in both brain hemispheres to achieve more complex functionality, like two-handed computer control.

Nolan described his experience using the Neuralink to play video games, saying it functions like an aimbot, allowing for faster and more accurate control.

Concerns about the security and privacy of Neuralink were addressed, with Nolan stating that while the device can technically be hacked, current risks are limited due to its basic functionality.

Transcripts

Elon Musk and his team behind the

neuralink brain implant have just

provided us with the latest update on

their first human trial with the promise

that a second human patient is coming

very soon using an upgraded neuralink

device progress so far has been a mixed

bag of unprecedented success and

unexpected setbacks all of which is

helping to propel the company forwards

to their ultimate goal of unlocking

superhuman capabilities this is

everything you need to know about

neuralink right

[Music]

now Elon Musk is now promising that the

second human neuralink operation will be

moving forward within the next 2 weeks

this is a slight Delay from what we had

been expecting which was to see patient

number two completed in June we've

learned that a nuring surgery was

originally scheduled to go forward on

June 24th at the Baro Neurological

Institute but was cancelled after the

patient candidate had to withdraw from

the test Barrow CEO Michael lton has

said that the withdrawal was due to

health concerns with the patient and he

notes that these concerns are unrelated

to the brain implant procedure Elon and

his team have also revealed that neural

Link's second human implant will not be

like the first ning's first human

patient Nolan arbaugh underwent his

brain implant surgery in late January

2024 this procedure was successful and

Nolan didn't experience any negative

side effects from either the surgery or

the implant for the first couple of

weeks nurlink N1 brain computer

interface performed flawlessly allowing

the user to interface with their

computer mouse just by thinking about

the movement this immediately gave Nolan

the ability to surf the web and play

games independently and without the use

of a mouth stick for the first time

since he was paralyzed in a diving

accident 8 years ago during weekdays

Nolan spends up to 8 hours a day

contributing to neuralink research on

weekends his personal and recreational

use of the implant can exceed up to 10

hours per day he's been able to reach up

to 69 hours per week of brain computer

interface with the N1 chip neuralink

Engineers confirmed that the current

device has a battery life of 4 to 5

hours and a charging time of about 45

minutes they said that Nolan has been

keeping an inductive charging coil

tucked underneath the beanie that he's

often seen wearing so that he can

quickly and independently recharge his

device nurlink also says that Nolan is

already moving his computer cursor at

speeds beyond the ability of a person

using a mouse something Nolan has been

demonstrating often with his live

streams on the xplatform the standard

for measuring speed and accuracy of

cursor control is bits per second or BPS

and that's what nurlink is calculating

during these grid tests where you see

the cursor moving around and clicking on

different boxes on day one Nolan set a

new world record of 4.6 BPS BS 3 months

later Nolan was already achieving 8 BPS

and is currently operating at a rate of

9.5 BPS double his previous record the

nuring telepathy software is able to

distinguish between left and right

clicks and allows for movement of the

cursor that is precise enough to click

on the smallest icons and buttons of a

laptop screen however this initial trial

has not been without issues what we know

is that in the weeks following the

surgery a number of the electron threads

that were implanted into Nolan's brain

tissue started to retract essentially

cutting off some of the communication

between the brain and the implant during

the surgical procedure neurolinks R1

robot was used to insert 64 threads into

the outer layer of the brain the

cerebral cortex and specifically this is

targeted into the motor cortex region of

the brain penetrating just a few

millimeters deep into the tissue each

thread is thinner than a human hair and

Carries 16 electrode sensors G giving

the link device a total of over 1,000

connection points into the neural

network of Nolan's brain from here the

electrodes can detect bioelectric pulses

created by neuron activation within the

cortex layer the link device uses

signals collected by the threads to

create a digital representation of the

brain activity that can then be

transmitted via Bluetooth into a nearby

computer device neuralink has confirmed

that only 15% of the link electrodes

remain in place today but according to

neuralink these remaining threads have

stabilized and improvements made to the

software algorithms that decode his

brain signals have restored Nolan's

brain computer interface capabilities so

when the threads retracted from the

brain that decreased the number of

electrode interfaces between the link

implant and the motor cortex nurlink has

confirmed that there are two

contributing factors to the thread

retraction one is an air pocket that is

created between the brain and the skull

nuring says this is common during brain

surgery and it's typical for the surgeon

to introduce a small amount of air into

the skull the reason they do that is to

create more room by lowering the CO2

concentration in a specific area they

cause the brain to shrink a little bit

and pull away from the skull providing

more room to work the downside is that

once inside the skull that air pocket

can now migrate and nurlink believes

that the air pocket moved from the front

of the brain to underneath their implant

sight which pushed the brain away from

the implant and tightened the threads

in their next operation nurlink plans to

maintain a normal CO2 concentration or

even slightly elevated levels which will

allow the brain to keep its normal size

and shape during surgery which should

eliminate the air pocket they also

believe that by moderately resculpting

the surface of the skull they can get

the implant to sit closer to the brain

and reduce the Gap underneath the second

factor is brain movement neuralink was

not anticipating how much a human brain

would move compared to a smaller animal

brain brain they found that the surface

of the brain actually travels about 3 mm

even when the person is just sitting

still and breathing so that makes

targeting with the surgical robot very

difficult one solution here is more

precise targeting on the surface of the

brain the outer layer of a human brain

has a very complex structure of folded

layers this increased surface area is

what gives us our intelligence but it

also presents a challenging landscape

for inserting the neuralink electrodes

for their next procedure neuralink will

be targeting only the high points of the

surface and avoiding anywhere too close

to one of the folds this will provide

better connectivity to the neuron layers

and it will make sure the thread is

anchored in the brain tissue another

solution is simply to go deeper with the

thread insertion essentially nurlink

will be broadening the range of thread

depth with their second human operation

now that they know retraction is a

possibility so the threads will be

placed at depths ranging from 4 mm to

7.2 mm neuralink Engineers believe that

as long as the threads can stay planted

long enough for the brain tissue to

begin healing over and regenerating from

the surgery then they should remain

anchored and stable for the long term

it's also important to note that

neuralink is the first brain implant

with the ability to have varied electrod

depths previously we've only used these

hard spiked arrays with pins that are

all the same length what's interesting

here is that Elon says the updated

nuring Gen 2 implants will have fewer

electrodes per thread going from 16 down

to 8 and that's because the company now

has a higher confidence in the thread's

ability to reach neurons so less

electrodes are needed he believes that

neuralink can achieve double their

current bandwidth just by getting more

accurate with the thread placement one

of the engineers pointed out that they

can also move to a higher thread count

to increase the number of information

channels to the brain potentially

reaching up to 3,000 channels their

current device has a maximum of

1,24 Elon and his team are highly

confident it won't be long until a

neuralink user can communicate much

faster than any average human being not

just through a computer but Elon is

already talking about this idea of being

able to instantly transmit a concept or

idea using digital telepathy without

even any need for words or language he's

also highly confident that neuralink

will be offering their first solution to

blindness in the near future his team

said that there's already been several

animal trials with stimulating the

visual cortex of the brain still very

basic stuff they can essentially light

up a pixel in the vision of a monkey

then by having the monkey look toward

the light they start to get an idea of

which neurons are connected to the

various pixels that make up our vision

so the first iteration of neuralink

blind site will be very low resolution

equivalent to something like an old

Atari video game but it will will

improve over time one other neuralink

capability that was teased during the

update was an interface with Tesla's

humanoid robot also known as Optimus the

team believes that a paralyzed

individual should be able to use their

neuralink to control the movement of the

humanoid robot that can range from

manipulating a robotic arm to help them

move objects or scratch an itch all the

way to remote controlling a full robot

body in a slightly more practical

application Elon thinks that they can

have neuralink users steering their own

electric wheelchairs using Bluetooth

communication from the implant which

would be a massive upgrade for the

independence and mobility of a paralyzed

individual it was also confirmed that

unlocking the full capability of

neuralink is going to require multiple

device implants we have this expost from

Elon Musk where he writes Nolan and I

discussed a possible second neuralink

nextg version that would allow his other

brain hemisphere to interact

telepathically with his computer this

would be like having two-handed control

ability the equivalent of mouse and

keyboard the idea here is that a nurlink

on the left side of your brain will

interface with the right side of the

body such as using a computer mouse but

to get the equivalent functionality of

using both arms at the same time you

need implants on both hemispheres of the

brain Nolan was recently on an episode

of The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast one

of many interviews and conversations

that he's done with the med media since

his identity was revealed in March

2024 while on Rogan's podcast Nolan

talked about his experience playing

video games with the neuralink device

Nolan said I basically have an Aimbot in

my head they'll probably have different

leagues for people like me because it's

just not fair Nolan went on to explain

that his digital telepathy is faster and

more accurate than playing with hands

and a controller he said sometimes it's

so good that it's moving before I even

like think it to move if you think about

moving your hand the signal is basically

already being sent before you move your

hand this is a bit of foreshadowing

towards Elon musk's end goal with nuring

he believes that this device will allow

people all people not just those with

disabilities to interface with

technology at a significantly higher

bandwidth than a mouse and keyboard or

touchscreen could ever possibly allow

essentially knocking down a barrier

between the human brain and the computer

bringing us much closer to a cybernetic

superhuman kind of ability now that all

could be great but it can also create a

whole lot of new problems for security

and privacy this is also something that

Nolan touched on in his talk with Joe

saying I mean people ask me all the time

if this thing can be hacked and the

short answer is yes this is easily one

of the most frequent points raised in

the comment section so here's the

closest thing we've had to An Answer

Nolan went on to say but at this point

at least hacking this wouldn't really do

much you might be able to control my

cursor on my screen and make me look at

weird stuff so basically saying that the

danger of neuralink will scale with the

capabilities of knurling for now it

can't do very much the functionality is

limited meaning that the risk is

likewise pretty limited it all depends

on where we go from here