Bradford Smith is just the third patient to be fitted with a Neuralink Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) yet, impressively, advancements in the technology have allowed him to edit and post a YouTube video using just his thoughts. Smith is affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, a disease wherein the nerves that control his muscles degenerate, which has led to him being unable to move and talk. However, Elon Musk’s investments in Neuralink are finally paying off, and the patient was able to make so many advancements that were previously unheard of.
It was just February last year that the first human Neuralink implantee was reportedly able to move a mouse around by just using their brain. One month later, the patient has grown comfortable enough with the tech that they’re already playing chess and Civilization 6 using the BCI. These achievements are already impressive in their own right, but the second Neuralink patient upped the ante a few months later. In July 2024, Alex, who suffered from a spinal cord injury, received the BCI implant. After a month of getting used to the system, he was reportedly able to use CAD applications to build a custom 3D-printer charging accessory for the implant and play Counter-Strike 2 with his teammates
In the video we embedded, Smith shared what the BCI looked like: a small cylindrical stack about the size of five quarters with several fine electrode threads sticking out of it. It was implanted into his brain by a robot, ensuring that no blood vessels were damaged during the process. From there, the Neuralink connects to a MacBook Pro via Bluetooth, which processes all the neural data gathered from his brain.
Smith noted that the Neuralink is attached to his motor cortex, meaning it can only read his intended movements — not his thoughts and words. Initially, he tried moving his hands to move the cursor, but the system did not respond well. After further study, the engineers working on his implant discovered that moving his tongue is the best way to move the cursor. Bradford said that he doesn’t think about his tongue when moving the cursor, much like how you don’t think about moving your arm or wrist when operating a mouse. His subconscious quickly took over the operation, and he now controls a computer seamlessly through his BCI.
Aside from operating the mouse, the third patient was finally able to regain his voice with AI. Bradford and his team used old video and audio recordings, from before his ALS diagnosis, to train a speech synthesis AI. This allows us to hear him once again, narrating a video which he created himself — something that would’ve been impossible just over a year ago.
BCI technology advances apace
BCI technology is advancing at remarkable speed, with patients now able to use it to operate a computer by themselves. Elon Musk's firm isn’t by any means the only one working on it. For example, a Chinese company was reportedly working on a competing tech called Neucyber in April last year with the backing of Beijing. The government has even started working on a plan to standardize the technology, which would hopefully make it easier for different companies to cooperate.
Advancements in BCIs are helping paralyzed patients get some control over their lives back, allowing them to use computers without external assistance. And as this tech matures even more, maybe we will have a future where ALS and other debilitating diseases would no longer be a life sentence for those affected.
