Implantable brain chip allows paralyzed former Texas college student to use social media for the first time

A month ago, Noland Arbaugh became the first human implanted with a Neuralink brain chip. Today, he posted on social media for the first time, fully with the control of the device.

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk that specializes in implantable brain-computer interfaces (also called BCIs). This injected technology is intended to allow people to perform computer functions without using their hands—only commands from the brain. Noland was the first person to physically test their prototype.

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According to a GoFundMe post made on Noland’s behalf, he was a student at Texas A&M in the summer of 2016 when he was paralyzed from the shoulders down in what the post referred to as a “freak accident” while he was working as a counselor at a children’s camp.

He posted his first tweet this afternoon, using only the Neuralink technology:

Arbaugh’s post has gained more than 40,000 likes in the six hours since he posted it. His account, named “ModdedQuad,” has also amassed 36,000 followers on X.

He has since posted a second tweet, which included a 59-minute video from a company-wide meeting at Neuralink. In the video, he expressed how the device has positively impacted his life in such a short time.

“I can’t express enough how awesome all of y’all are and how much this is going to change the world,” Arbaugh said.

The video also detailed other things that Arbaugh has done since being given the implant, including playing chess and other computer games.

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