Musk claims first use of Neuralink on humans shows 'promising' results

Elon Musk on Monday announced that the first human to receive a Neuralink implant is recovering and initial results were "promising."

"The first human received an implant from [Neuralink] yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," he posted on X.

Neuralink hardware aims to create a digital interface with the brain. Musk has previously touted the equipment as potential method for treating those with paralysis. 

"In the long term, Neuralink hopes to play a role in AI risk civilizational risk reduction by improving human to AI (and human to human) bandwidth by several orders of magnitude. Imagine if Stephen Hawking had had this," he posted in September. In a follow up posted, he likened the technology to the mechanical hand that Luke Skywalker received at the of the the 1980 film "The Empire Strikes Back."

The primary aim of the technology is to permit paralytics to interact with digital devices via their thoughts, according to The Hill.

Reactions to Musk's Monday announcement were decidedly mixed, with many X users celebrating the potential breakthrough and others expressing concerns, often pointing to dystopian fiction works that depict similar technologies. Digital interfaces with the brain appear in a litany of science fiction franchises, including "Star Trek" and "The Matrix."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.