Science & Technology

Video shows Neuralink brain chip recipient playing chess 'telepathically'

By T.K. Randall
March 21, 2024

Image: Elon Musk at the SpaceX CRS-8 post-launch press conference (illustrative)
Credit: Kim Shiflett / (PD) NASA Having previously been described by Musk as an answer to the existential threat of an artificial intelligence surpassing our own capabilities, Neuralink's work in enabling people to control computers using nothing but their own thoughts has certainly raised a few eyebrows in recent years.

At a glance, it may seem like an unnecessary exercise in dabbling a bit too far beyond the line that most people are likely to feel comfortable with, yet it does have the potential to make great strides in improving the lives of those with a variety of debilitating medical conditions ranging from locked-in-syndrome to paralysis.

This was made particularly clear this week when footage emerged on social media of Noland Arbaugh - a 29-year-old who became paralyzed from the neck down in a driving accident 8 years ago.

The video shows Arbaugh - who has received one of Neuralink's brain implants - playing a game of chess on a computer using nothing more than his own thoughts to make his moves.He likened the experience to using "The Force" from Star Wars to move the pieces on the board.

The capabilities afforded him by the chip aren't limited to playing chess, either, as he also claimed to have been able to play popular strategy game Civilization VI for 8 hours straight.

Elon Musk seemed to be particularly impressed with what the chip could do, having retweeted the footage while noting that it demonstrated "telepathy".

Arbaugh himself stated that the brain chip has changed his life, but that the team behind the achievement had run into some issues and that there was "still a lot of work to be done".

You can check out the footage for yourself below.


Source: The Verge

Tags: Neuralink, Brain