Neuralink Corp, owned by Elon Musk, livestreamed an update with its first patient who received a brain implant on Wednesday. The patient, a quadriplegic, was able to play chess and video games online with his mind.
Musk founded the brain technology startup Neuralink. Through its implant, a patient can operate a computer with his thoughts. According to Musk, the company will initially serve patients with severe physical disabilities such as quadriplegia or impairment of the cervical spinal cord.

The video that went live on Musk’s social media platform X on Wednesday showed the patient, Noland Arbaugh, using his computer to play Civilization VI and chess. “I had given up on playing that game,” he stated.

Eight years ago, Arbaugh, 29, claimed to have had a “freak diving accident” that left him with a spinal cord injury. He added that the Neuralink procedure in January went well and that he was discharged from the hospital the following day. He continued by saying that “still work needs to be done” to improve the technology.

Neuralink is not the only company working on brain devices that connect with computers.

However, the Neuralink device contains more electrodes than other devices, suggesting it may have more potential applications in future. The Neuralink technology works without needing a wired connection to external devices.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk hinted that the device may have the capability to restore vision. “Blindsight is the next product after Telepathy,” he wrote, referring to the name of the implant for paralyzed patients.