San Francisco, United States

Billionaire Elon Musk on Monday (Jan 29) announced that his Neuralink startup has for the first time successfully installed a brain implant in a human patient, with "promising" initial results.

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The neurotechnology company, which was co-founded by Musk in 2016, is aimed at creating direct communication channels between the computers and brain.

The ambitious project is aimed at supercharging human capabilities as well as treating neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson's, and one day is likely to achieve the establishment of a symbiotic relationship between artificial intelligence and humans.

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"The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well," said Musk, in a post on X, which was formerly called Twitter.

"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," he said.

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Spikes are activities carried out by neurons, which the National Institute of Health has described as cells which use electrical and chemical signals to provide information to the brain and body.

Last year, the start-up claimed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given them the approval to test its brain implants in people.

Neuralink device placed inside human brain through invasive surgery

The technology of Neuralink is set to mainly work through an implant known as the "Link", which is a device nearly the size of five stacked coins. The device is placed inside the human brain through invasive surgery.

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As per the data company Pitchbook, California-based Neuralink last year had more than 400 employees and was able to raise nearly $363 million.

Musk's company is not the only one which has been trying to advance in the field, which is officially called brain-machine or brain-computer interface research.

The tycoon, who has faced major deploys, has reached out, as per reports, to join forces with implant developer Synchron regarding a potential investment. 

Unlike the Link of Neuralink, its implant version does not require cutting into the skull for its installation. The first device was implanted by Australia-based Synchron in a US patient in July 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)