"Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a
full recovery, with neural effects that we are aware of. Patient is able to
move a mouse around the screen by just thinking," Musk said in a Spaces
event on social media platform X.
Musk said Neuralink was now trying to get as many mouse
button clicks as possible from the patient.
Neuralink did not immediately reply to Reuters' request for
further details.
The firm successfully implanted a chip on its first human
patient last month, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in
September.
The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer
interface implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move,
Neuralink has said, adding that the initial goal is to enable people to control
a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.
Musk has grand ambitions for Neuralink, saying it would
facilitate speedy surgical insertions of its chip devices to treat conditions
like obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
Neuralink, which was valued at about $5 billion last year,
has faced repeated calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters
reported last month that the firm was fined for violating U.S. Department of
Transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials. -Reuters