Neuralink may restore full body functionality, says Elon Musk

Elon Musk said Neuralink could potentially restore full body functionality by bridging damaged spinal cords through brain-computer interfaces. The company has already implanted devices in 12 patients and is also developing Blindsight, a vision-restoring brain chip.

New Delhi: Billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday said that his brain-computer interface company Neuralink can possibly restore full body functionality.

The breakthrough focuses on the motor cortex, restoring “full body functionality” for people with severed spinal cords.

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“I am confident at this point that restoring full body functionality is possible with Neuralink,” the Tesla and SpaceX founder shared in a post on the social media platform X.

“Neuralink can essentially help bridge communications from the cortex, past the point in the neck or spine, where the nerves are damaged. It is possible from a physics standpoint to physically restore full body functionality,” he said in a video post.

The motor cortex technology feature was announced by Musk in 2022, and the testing began in humans in the same year.

The device includes a chip that replaces a small piece of bone and is connected to the brain via a series of thin, threaded electrodes. The company’s N1 implant includes 1,024 electrodes distributed among 64 threads, according to the company’s website.

In September, the company announced that it had implanted its device in 12 patients.

Meanwhile, on January 1, Musk’s California-based neurotechnology firm announced taking major steps toward restoring vision, with a brain implant that allows the visually impaired, even those blind from birth.

Blindsight, Neuralink’s brain chip aimed at restoring vision, received “breakthrough device” designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2024. The company is expected to begin high-volume production of the device this year.

“Neuralink will start high-volume production of brain-computer interface devices and move to a streamlined, almost entirely automated surgical procedure in 2026. Device threads will go through the dura without the need to remove it. This is a big deal,” he shared on X.

According to Musk, Blindsight will help people who have lost both eyes, and they will be able to see. He also claimed that, provided the visual cortex remains intact, the device can restore vision even in people who have been blind since birth.