Neuralink’s brain-chip patient is playing Civilization VI for 8 hours straight with his mind

In 2024, we may not have the flying cars people in the 1950s envisioned, but we already have a human with a chip installed in its brain that’s allowing him to do incredible stuff.

Like playing chess, and playing Civilization VI for 8 hours straight – all just by thinking about it, without actually interacting with the games’ interface.

Reuters reports the latest developments on Neuralink’s first brain-chip patient: 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh.

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk with the goal of developing implantable brain–machine interfaces (BMIs). Its primary aim is to enable humans to communicate directly with computers and to enhance cognitive capabilities, potentially offering solutions for neurological conditions and integrating artificial intelligence with human cognition.

Also, Neuralink – and companies alike – is what gives many people nightmares. Yup, misuse of technology can and does happen, so brace yourselves.

Back to Neuralink’s first brain-chip patient, though. Neuralink livestreamed the patient using only his mind to play online chess.

Noland Arbaugh was paralyzed below the shoulder after a diving accident, and is now able to play chess on his laptop. The implant seeks to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

“The surgery was super easy. I literally was released from the hospital a day later. I have no cognitive impairments. I had basically given up playing that game,” Arbaugh said, referring to the game Civilization VI, “you all (Neuralink) gave me the ability to do that again and played for 8 hours straight.”

In January, Neuralink implanted the chip in his brain, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in the Fall of 2023. Back in 2022, the Neuralink project entered its human trial phase – prior to that, Neuralink carried out testing with primates, killing 15 of the 23 test monkeys.

Now, the patient zero with a brain chip appears to have fully recovered. This is great, but it’s remarkable that the patient is able to control a computer mouse using their thoughts, the startup's founder Elon Musk said a month ago.

“Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with neural effects that we are aware of. Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking”, Musk said.