Neuralink, co-founded by Elon Musk, is developing implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to assist individuals with neurological disorders. In May 2023, the company received FDA approval to commence human clinical trials in the United States. The initial trial, named the Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (PRIME) study, focuses on enabling individuals with quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to control external devices using their thoughts.
In January 2024, Neuralink successfully implanted its first BCI device, called “Telepathy,” into a human patient. The patient demonstrated the ability to control a computer mouse using only their brain signals. Following this, a second patient received an implant in August 2024, with the procedure reported to have gone “extremely well.”
I sometimes wonder if my brother-in-law, pictured here, could have used this. He sustained a brain injury after an automobile accident in 1986 and lived the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair and not really able to communicate. He died in 2022 at the age of 47. 
Expanding its research, Neuralink received approval from Health Canada in November 2024 to conduct its first clinical trial outside the U.S. This trial, known as the Canadian Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (CAN-PRIME) study, will be conducted at Toronto Western Hospital. It aims to evaluate the safety of Neuralink’s N1 implant and R1 surgical robot in patients with tetraparesis or tetraplegia resulting from cervical spinal cord injury or ALS.
These trials represent significant steps toward developing BCIs that could restore independence to individuals with severe motor impairments.
For a firsthand account, you might find this interview with Neuralink’s first human patient insightful: