Noland Arbaugh, 30, became the first human recipient of Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant in January 2024. The device, a brain-computer interface (BCI), allows him to control a computer using only his thoughts. Arbaugh, who has been quadriplegic since a swimming accident in 2016, said he felt no fear when agreeing to the surgery, despite risks of infection, haemorrhage and brain damage.
Speaking from his home in Yuma, Arizona, Arbaugh described his calmness under pressure: 'You never know what you're going to do in those high-stress situations. I found out that day that it's hard to shake me.' The implant, developed by Musk's company Neuralink, was inserted into his motor cortex by a purpose-built robot. Arbaugh said he wanted to help advance technology that could benefit millions of paralysed people.
Arbaugh's accident occurred in June 2016 when he was a 22-year-old student working at a summer camp in upstate New York. He believes a friend accidentally struck him in the head as they ran into a lake, causing him to become paralysed face down in the water. He now lives with his mother, Mia, stepfather and half-brother, who care for him. He operates an electric wheelchair using a mouthpiece.
Before his accident, Arbaugh was athletic and musical, playing sports and bass guitar in a rock band. He said his faith was a huge part of his life growing up, and he sees his accident as divine intervention: 'It was God pulling me back. I really do think that it was the best thing that could have happened to me.'
The Neuralink implant has allowed Arbaugh to perform tasks such as moving a cursor on a screen and playing chess using his mind. However, the long-term implications of the technology remain uncertain, with some expressing concerns about privacy and the potential for billionaire-controlled access to human thoughts.
