'I have potential again': First Neuralink patient says chip has given him new independence

Eighteen months after becoming the first person to receive Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant, Noland Arbaugh has described how the experimental device has transformed his daily life, giving him greater independence and a renewed sense of purpose.

Arbaugh, now 31, was paralysed from the shoulders down following a swimming accident in 2016 that left him with no movement or sensation below the injury. In 2024, he underwent surgery in which a robotic system implanted the Neuralink device into his brain. The coin-sized chip connects over a thousand tiny electrodes to his neurons, allowing the system to detect and decode electrical signals and translate them into digital commands.

Through the brain-computer interface (BCI), Arbaugh can now move a computer cursor by thought, type on a screen, and interact with connected devices. He says he typically uses the system for up to 10 hours a day, enabling him to study, read, and even play video games such as Mario Kart. He also uses it to operate everyday electronics, including his television and air purifier.

The technology has opened up new opportunities. Arbaugh has enrolled at a community college in Arizona and is exploring plans to start a business, alongside paid speaking engagements. “I feel like I have potential again. I guess I always have had potential, but now I’m finding a way to fulfill that potential in meaningful ways,” he told Fortune.

His journey, however, has not been without complications. Shortly after the operation, several of the device’s ultrafine threads retracted from his brain tissue, causing him to lose much of the initial functionality. Arbaugh chose not to disclose the problem at the time, saying it would have been “extremely rash” and risked damaging confidence in the project before Neuralink engineers had a chance to resolve it. The device was later recalibrated, restoring much of its performance.

Before the implant, Arbaugh described his life as directionless. “I would stay up all night and sleep all day, and I didn’t really want to bother anyone or ruin any plans or get in the way of anything,” he said. Now, he says the technology has given him control and motivation, even if the risks were clear from the outset. “I decided that, even if it didn’t work—even if something went terribly wrong—I knew that it would help someone down the road.”

Reflecting on his new reality, Arbaugh joked that the implant technically makes him a cyborg. “But I still see myself as a regular guy,” he added.

Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, is among a handful of companies developing brain-computer interfaces. While the technology remains experimental and confined to clinical trials, Arbaugh’s experience highlights both the potential and challenges of merging human cognition with digital systems.