The initial user of Neuralink is consistently engaging in multitasking activities with his brain implant.

In 2016, Noland Arbaugh experienced a spinal cord injury while swimming in a lake. The incident is somewhat unclear, but he recalls rushing into the water with his friends, diving in, and hitting his head on an object or person. He found himself floating on the surface, unable to move.

Subsequently, doctors diagnosed him as paralyzed from the neck down. Arbaugh transitioned from being an independent college student to moving back in with his parents and depending on them for his daily care. He adapted to using a wheelchair and a mouth-held stick to operate an iPad, but the most challenging part was feeling like a burden to his family.

The year 2016 also marked the founding of Neuralink by Elon Musk. Earlier this year, Arbaugh became the inaugural recipient of the company's investigational device, known as Telepathy, in a clinical trial. This brain-computer interface (BCI) decodes brain signals for intended movements and translates them into computer commands. Arbaugh can now control a cursor on his laptop screen simply by thinking about it.

This innovative device has granted Arbaugh, now 30, a newfound sense of autonomy. Previously, using a mouth-stick required assistance to position him upright and retrieve it if dropped. Additionally, he couldn't use it for extended periods without developing sores. With the Neuralink device, he has regained almost complete control over a computer. He can surf the internet and play computer games at his convenience, and Neuralink reports that he has achieved a human record for cursor control using a BCI.

Arbaugh is not the first individual to receive a BCI; another recipient, Nathan Copeland, has had one for nine years. In addition to Neuralink, several other companies are working towards commercializing BCIs to assist individuals with paralysis, mental health disorders, and even blindness. Arbaugh recently engaged in a conversation with WIRED via Zoom to discuss his experience in the Neuralink study. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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Emily Mullin: What was your daily life like before receiving the implant?

Noland Arbaugh: I spent most of my days in bed. Unless I had something to attend to, I didn't get up much. I would only get up every other day to take showers. I would get out of bed when people visited me at home, but apart from that, I remained in bed.

Just before my involvement with Neuralink, I was striving to make significant improvements. I was trying to regain control of my life, as I had essentially accomplished nothing for five years following my accident. So, I began learning languages and other things. In the two years leading up to the Neuralink trial, I actively worked on self-improvement.

You mentioned that you learned about the Neuralink trial through a friend. Were you familiar with brain-computer interfaces before that?

No, I had never heard of them before.

Elon Musk is known for his flamboyant nature, and Neuralink has livestreamed some impressive updates over the years. What were your initial thoughts on the company?

I was truly amazed by their ambitious endeavor. Elon Musk, regardless of people's opinions on him, has undeniably made a significant impact on the world. It was truly fascinating to know that he was involved in something like this. I genuinely believe that we share a similar mindset in our desire to improve humanity.

Witnessing the wealthiest man in the world, potentially one of the most influential individuals globally, taking an interest in such a cause was incredibly impressive. It is rare to see such substantial funding being directed towards initiatives for individuals with disabilities.

The process of determining eligibility for the Neuralink trial was quite rigorous. Could you please share your experience with it?

The entire process took approximately a month. After submitting my application, I received an email the following day informing me that I had been selected for the first interview. Numerous Zoom interviews were conducted, and I underwent extensive medical screenings. They inquired about my medical and family history, and I also had to undergo a psychological evaluation.

I was amazed by their ambitious goals. Elon Musk, a figure who has undeniably left a mark on the world, was involved in this project. It was fascinating to know that he was part of such an endeavor. I truly believe that we share a common mindset in our desire to improve humanity.

It was very cool to see the richest man in the world, possibly one of the most powerful men in the world, taking an interest—you just don’t see this kind of funding go into things for handicapped people.

You had to go through a pretty extensive screening process to find out if you were eligible for the Neuralink trial. What was that like?

It took about a month. I applied and within a day I’d gotten an email back that said I’d been selected and they wanted me to go through the first interview. I did a bunch of Zoom interviews. I had to do a lot of medical screenings. They asked about my medical history and family history, and I had to do a psych screening.

At the very end, about a month in, I went to the hospital they had selected. I did a full day of screening, which was eight hours of tests, including brain scans, different head scans, blood tests, and urine tests. I did another psychoanalysis and then memory tests to see if I was all there cognitively and also just to get a baseline, so if anything changes they would be able to know where I was when I began. That was a long day.

After that, it was just a waiting game.

When they told you that you had been selected for the trial and were going to get the Neuralink implant, how did you feel?

The whole time I tried to keep my expectations really level. They told me throughout this whole process that at any point, if I don’t meet one of their criteria, they’ll move on in a different direction. I tried to push down any expectation I had just because I didn’t want to get my hopes up and be let down. It was hard to not get excited. But I think I needed that to keep me grounded through the whole process.

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Did you have concerns or fears at any point about getting brain surgery?

There were a couple of things that gave me pause, but I wouldn’t call them concerns. It was more that I needed to think through it and sort through my feelings and emotions and see if I was really ready to undertake what was coming my way.

The first is that I’m a quadriplegic, and all I really have is my brain. So letting someone go in there and mess around, it’s a big commitment. If something goes wrong, that’s kind of it for me. But I knew I wanted to help out, and I didn’t want to let my fears get in the way of that.

The second thing that gave me pause was that I didn’t know if I wanted to be the first one to get this in my brain if anything would go wrong with the implant. What if it breaks or stops working and I only have it for a day, a week? I thought maybe someone else should get it first, and I’ll get the better version of it.

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Did Neuralink prepare you for the possibility that the implant might not work?

I knew there were a lot of risks going in, and I knew it might not work. I didn’t anticipate any of that though. I had complete faith in Neuralink.

The day after your surgery, Musk posted on X that the device was showing neuron spike detection. Was it really that fast?

I was lying in my hospital bed right after surgery, and they came in and woke up the implant for the first time. They showed me a screen with different channels on it, and they said they were real-time signals that the Neuralink was picking up in my brain. So I knew it was working.

My first instinct was to just start playing around, moving my fingers, to see if I could notice any big spikes. Every time I moved my index finger, there was a big yellow spike, and I did it three or four times. I was just lying there thinking, “That’s so cool.” I moved my finger and it jumped, and everyone in the room was just geeking out.

Once they started putting me in the app and letting me do things like calibration and body mapping and I got cursor control for the first time, it was very intuitive. It wasn’t hard at all, and I think it’s only going to improve from here.

By body mapping, you mean that you would think about moving your hand or your finger in a certain way and Neuralink would correlate that with a certain neural signal?

Yeah, so in the body mapping, there were visualizations of a hand moving on a screen. There were different actions that they had me perform, like push your hand forward, pull your hand back, and so I did that for a while. We would do the action during body mapping, and they said that same action will be how you control the cursor. We did finger presses, like pushing down with each of my fingers 10 times. Then they would say, “OK, this finger got the best signal, and so that's the one we're going to use for the click.” So every time I went to click, I used that finger. It was very intuitive.

You’re not actually moving your finger then, just thinking about it?

Exactly. Even though I can’t move it, I can still try to move it, and it feels like it should be moving. The signal is still happening in my brain.

What does it feel like to be using the device? Do you have to concentrate really hard?

No, it’s very easy. I’m constantly multitasking when I’m in sessions or when I’m playing around. I’ll throw on an audiobook or throw something on my TV and then play a game at the same time. It takes very little brain power. What I’m thinking the whole time is just where I want the cursor to go.

What devices are you able to use the Neuralink app on?

It’s just on a Macbook right now, but they’re planning on moving it onto other devices. It will move to a phone pretty soon, and we’ll continue going from there.

Neuralink put out a blog post recently about your first 100 days with the device, and it mentioned that some of the implant’s threads, which are dotted with electrodes that read your neural activity, pulled out of your brain. Did you notice a difference in functionality when that happened?

I could tell right away that something was wrong. I just started losing control of the cursor. That was about three weeks in, I would say. I thought it was something on their end, like they had changed something in the software that made it perform worse.

I was not aware of the possibility of the threads coming out. It was not mentioned in any of the animal trials. I did hear that it might have occurred in one of the monkeys, but the circumstances were quite different. It was never predicted that it would happen to me.

However, there were numerous unexpected factors concerning the human brain, such as its significant movement. This disrupted many of their calculations regarding the expected progress.

1. Since receiving the implant, my life has transformed significantly. I have gained a sense of independence that benefits not only myself but also those in my surroundings. This newfound autonomy has reduced feelings of helplessness and the burden I once felt. I appreciate the fact that my loved ones no longer need to constantly assist me. Ultimately, apart from a full recovery, independence is what many quadriplegics desire the most.

Are you worried at all that more threads could pull out and the implant could stop working altogether?

Yeah, I’ve had fears about that. I’ve mentioned it to them. They have been very upfront with me and said that they don’t see any evidence of that. It seems like the threads have stabilized, and even some that were pulled out of my brain had found their way back in. I’m not worried about it now.

How has your life changed since getting the implant?

It’s just made me more independent, and that helps not only me but everyone around me. It makes me feel less helpless and like less of a burden. I love the fact that the people around me don’t have to wait on me so much. Outside of being completely healed, I believe what most quadriplegics want is independence.

There are now a few dozen people around the world who have gotten BCIs. Have you met any of them?

No, I haven’t. I would like to. Maybe I need to take that first step and reach out. Maybe they’re all mad because I’ve been breaking world records.

You’ll have the implant for at least a year as part of the trial. Is there a scenario where you’d want to have it taken out?

My thinking through this whole process has been, it would benefit Neuralink if I left it in as long as possible, because I’ll have the longest case study of anyone. I would like to do that if it benefits them. That being said, if after a year I or Neuralink feels as if they’ve gotten what they can from me, and I’ve given what I can, then we’ll see. It also depends on how functional it is. I don’t expect it to lose any more function, but I never know what the future holds.

What has Neuralink told you about the possibility of getting an improved model?

I would love one, but they haven’t promised me anything. They’re not allowed to because it’s seen as an incentive. Since it’s a voluntary study, I’m not allowed to be incentivized at all in any way.

I hope that being the first short-lists me in some way, but if this is the extent of my participation, then that would be enough for me.

Neuralink is looking for a second trial participant. What would you say to that person?

I’m excited to have a buddy in this, someone to compare notes with. It will be nice to get a different perspective. I only have a few months on the next participant, but I want to help out in any way I can and be available for any questions they have. I guess my role in all this is sort of like a big brother.

What do you think is the next frontier for BCIs?

Being able to translate language in real time, I think that’s doable.

I know that BCIs don’t write into the brain yet, they just read. There’s no way to insert knowledge in there. But I think if we’re already at the reading step, then maybe writing comes next. That is a little bit of a scarier notion and something that I feel like a lot of people might not be too happy with. Maybe that’s something that needs to be thought out a bit more and taken a bit more carefully. But I think it’s a real possibility, and it’s a real bright future.