Neuralink’s First Human Patient Able to Play 'Civ 6,' Chess with His Mind

Neuralink's first human patient, in a feat no lesser than a scientific miracle, is now able to play Civilization VI and chess with his mind.

In a nine-minute video on X (formerly Twitter), 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, was shown to mentally move the cursor in his computer for a long period of time through the chip implanted in his brain.

Similar to eye-tracking software, Neuralink works by focusing on a section of a screen to move the cursor and click.

The patient confirmed to be comfortable with the brain implant nearly two months after the surgery. Arbaugh's only complaint, so far, is the eight-hour battery life of the device.

Arbaugh was the first human volunteer to receive the Neuralink interface after the US Food and Drugs Administration greenlit the company's request to move tests to human patients last year.

Neuralink Still Under Scrutiny from Neuroscientists

Despite the seemingly big feats of its first human trial, Neuralink remains a sore spot among academics and professionals in the neuroscience field.

Wired earlier reported several notable neuroscientists criticizing Neuralink and its owner Elon Musk for the lack of assurance with its technology by having it "confirmed by peers, not just by people with stake in the company."

Aside from respective Federal agencies, Neuralink kept details about its human and animal testing behind closed doors.

Neuralink has also previously been accused of animal abuse during its early trials that it warranted a probe from the US Department of Agriculture.

The department later confirmed that there was no animal welfare abuse beyond the brain implant accident in 2019 that has already been reported.

Neuralink to Push Forward with More Implants

Although no specific date is given, Musk and Neuralink have hinted at plans to push forward with more human test trials following Arbaugh.

Neuralink called for paralyzed patients to volunteer for its implants last Fall as the company moves to make its device available for commercial use.