Elon Musk said his startup Neuralink has installed a brain implant on its first patient with "promising" initial results.
The neurotech company, co-founded by Musk in 2016, aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers.
The ambition is to boost human abilities, treat neurological diseases such as ALS or Parkinson's, and perhaps one day achieve symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence.
"The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well," Musk said in a post on X.
"Initial results show promising detection of neural spikes," he added.
Last year, the startup said it had received approval from US regulators to test its brain implants in humans.
Neuralink's technology will essentially work through an implant called "Link," a five-coin-sized device that is inserted into the human brain through invasive surgery.
California-based Neuralink had more than 400 employees and raised at least $363 million last year, according to data company Pitchbook.
Despite winning most of the headlines, Musk is hardly alone in trying to advance the field, which is formally known as brain-machine interface research, or brain-computer.
Plagued by delays, the tycoon has reportedly reached out to join forces with implant developer Synchron for a potential investment.
Unlike Neuralink's Link, the implant version does not require cutting open the skull to install.
Australia-based Synchron implanted its first device on a patient in the US in July 2022 /BGNES
