Neuralink's Second Brain Implant Patient Plays Video Games with Mind Control

A man is playing video games again after Neuralink's second successful brain implant surgery - SiliconANGLE

A man is playing video games again after Neuralink's second successful brain implant surgery Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, Neuralink Corp., announced today a successful surgery in what is now its second human implant. This follows the first success back in January this year, a milestone for Neuralink, which has been talking about hooking human brains up with computers since it was founded in 2017. Hundreds of millions of dollars later, and with healthy competition, a kind of digital telepathy is fast becoming a reality. Little is known about this latest recipient of the Brain Computer Interface, or BCI. Neuralink says his name is Alex and at some point in his life he suffered a catastrophic spinal injury. After a successful surgery at Arizona's Barrow Neurological Institute, Alex was using his implant, Link, to do things he certainly hadn't been able to do before the surgery. "It took less than 5 minutes for him to start controlling a cursor with his mind," Neuralink reported on its website. He was soon browsing the web, creating 3-D designs with CAD applications and as a video shows, playing Counter-Strike 2 like a baller." He had previously played the game using a mouth-operated controller called a QuadStick. How he's now able to navigate the game and exterminate the enemy leveraging mind-control is impressive. Alex was an automotive technician before his injury. One of the things he missed was "building things...and destroying things." "I'm already super impressed with how this works," he said. "Just running around is so enjoyable because I can look side to side, and not need to move Quadstick left and right... I can [think about where to] look and it goes where I want it to. It's insane." Last week, scientists at the University of California at Davis reported that they'd used an implant to decipher neural signals in a man who suffers from the neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He had previously been unable to speak, and then with a chip that can interpret signals in the part of the brain responsible for speech, and with the help of AI to generate his voice, he was chatting with his daughter again. It seems after years of research, progress in the brain chip domain is moving fast. "If all goes well, there will be hundreds of people with Neuralinks within a few years, maybe tens of thousands within 5 years, millions within 10 years," Musk wrote on X.

Elon Musk's brain chip lets paralyzed man play Counter-Strike 2

The patient, known as Alex, suffered a spinal cord injury that resulted in the loss of control over his limbs. Last month, Alex underwent surgery to receive the brain chip, and the results are already making waves. According to Neuralink, this advanced technology holds the promise of allowing individuals with severe physical disabilities, such as quadriplegia, to regain a degree of autonomy by operating computer-controlled devices with their thoughts. Since receiving the implant, Alex has been able to use it to remotely control a mouse on his laptop, opening new possibilities for interaction with digital environments. Alex's newfound ability to play Counter-Strike 2 with the Neuralink implant marks a significant improvement over his previous setup. Before the brain chip, Alex relied on a mouth-operated controller called a QuadStick, which limited his gameplay to either moving or aiming his weapon at one time -- never both simultaneously.

Counter-Strike 2 is now being played with only thoughts | Digital Trends

Neuralink is making headlines once again. This time, it's not just about the futuristic vision of merging human brains with AI. Its latest milestone involves the second human to receive a Neuralink brain implant, who is already using the device to play video games -- specifically, Counter-Strike 2. The individual, reportedly known as Alex, can control and interact with the game using only their thoughts. Previously, he relied on a mouth-operated controller called a QuadStick to play first-person shooters, which restricted him to either moving or aiming his weapon at any given time. This required him to alternate between mouse and keyboard functions during gameplay. Recommended Videos However, with the Neuralink implant, Alex can now aim using the implant while simultaneously moving with the QuadStick, greatly enhancing his control and gameplay experience. This achievement highlights the rapid advancements Neuralink is making in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, which aims to bridge the gap between human cognition and digital devices. Video games have often served as testing grounds for new technologies, from AI algorithms to virtual reality systems. Neuralink's use of gaming as a platform to demonstrate its BCI is a strategic move. Counter-Strike 2 is known for its fast-paced, highly-competitive gameplay, making it an ideal challenge for the implant to showcase its capabilities. If a patient can successfully navigate and compete in such an environment, it suggests that the device could be used for more complex tasks in the future. The Elon Musk-backed company had also shared a video earlier this year where the first human patient to have Neuralink's device implanted in his brain was able to use his thoughts to control a cursor that moves the chess pieces. While Neuralink's progress is undoubtedly impressive, it also raises ethical and technical questions. The long-term effects of implanting a device directly into the brain remain unknown, and many experts in the field have expressed concerns about the potential for misuse of such technology. Moreover, the technology is still in its infancy. The ability to play Counter-Strike 2 is a remarkable achievement, but it's just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Neuralink must continue to refine its BCI technology to address a wider range of neurological issues and ensure the implant's long-term safety and reliability.