How Elon Musk's Brain Chip Works: Inside Neuralink's Revolutionary Technology

Imagine playing chess with your mind, not your hands, or controlling a computer cursor simply by thinking about it. For Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old quadriplegic and the world’s first human recipient of Elon Musk’s brain chip, this is now reality. Arbaugh described the experience as “using the Force” from Star Wars. His story illustrates Neuralink’s goal: creating a seamless bridge between the human brain and the digital world.

But how does the technology work? What happens during surgery, inside the chip, and in the brain? And what are its broader ambitions — and controversies?

Founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and a team of eight scientists and engineers, Neuralink is an American neurotechnology company focused on developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—devices that record brain activity and convert it into digital signals capable of controlling external devices.

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Its flagship product, the Link (also called the Telepathy N1), is a small, coin-sized implant that sits inside the skull. Neuralink received FDA approval for human trials in May 2023, with the first implantation occurring in January 2024. By late 2025, the company reported 12 trial participants and over 15,000 cumulative hours of device usage.

The Link is a fully implantable, wireless BCI roughly the size of a large coin, described as “cosmetically invisible” once implanted.

Electrodes and Threads: Its standout feature is the ultra-thin, flexible electrode threads. The device has 1,024 electrodes across 64 threads, each thinner than a human hair, which are woven into the cerebral cortex — the brain region controlling memory, reasoning, learning, and voluntary movement.

These electrodes detect electrical signals fired by neurones. When someone thinks about moving a hand, neuronees in the motor cortex generate pulses that the Link captures with single-neurone precision. This level of accuracy sets Neuralink apart from older BCIs, which used broader surface electrodes.

Wireless Signal Transmission: Once captured, neural signals are processed by the implant and transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to devices like computers or smartphones. Earlier BCIs required wired connections; the Link is fully internal, with wireless charging.

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The Application-Specific Chip: At its core is a custom ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that amplifies and digitises brain signals at low power. Earlier prototypes had up to 3,072 channels; the current human trial version uses 1,024. The chip can theoretically stimulate the brain as well as read signals, allowing bidirectional communication in future iterations.

Implanting thousands of microscopic electrodes into living brain tissue is a major challenge. Neuralink employs a surgical robot designed to thread the delicate electrodes precisely.

The procedure lasts three to four hours. A small section of the skull is removed, then the robot inserts the threads into the cortex using a needle thinner than a human hair. The device sits flush with the skull, and patients typically leave the hospital within a day without cognitive impairment.

After recovery, patients are trained to associate thoughts with digital commands, essentially learning to control devices with their mind.

Results from human trials have been striking. Noland Arbaugh can control a cursor, play online chess, and operate software entirely through thought. Another participant, “Alex”, can create 3D designs in CAD software and play first-person shooter games with enhanced performance.

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Both describe a dramatic improvement in autonomy and quality of life — regaining abilities lost to spinal injuries or paralysis.

BCIs have existed since the late 1990s, allowing patients to control cursors, robotic limbs, and speech synthesisers. Neuralink distinguishes itself not by inventing a new concept but by integrating several technologies into a fully miniaturised, wireless system.

Its advantages include:

• High channel count for detailed brain data

• Flexible, hair-thin threads that minimise tissue damage

• Robotic implantation for precision

• Fully wireless, rechargeable design

According to Musk, Neuralink continues upgrading its chips with more electrodes, higher bandwidth, and longer battery life.

Current trials focus on patients with paralysis from spinal cord injuries or ALS. Future ambitions include treating neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, depression, and obesity.

The CONVOY study tests the N1 chip for controlling assistive robotic arms. Another project, Blindsight, aims to restore partial vision in people with undamaged visual cortices and received the “breakthrough device” designation in September 2024.

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Musk’s long-term vision is merging human consciousness with AI to create a “general brain interface”, potentially granting symbiotic cognitive abilities alongside artificial intelligence. Most neuroscientists consider this highly speculative, cautioning that current capabilities are limited.

Animal Trials: Before human testing, Neuralink used pigs, monkeys, and other animals. Reports indicated 15 of 30 monkeys died post-implantation, though Musk stated many were already ill. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a complaint with the USDA, prompting an investigation.

Transparency: Neuralink’s trials are not registered in the NIH ClinicalTrials.gov database, limiting independent verification.

Commercial Framing: Critics argue Neuralink markets the Link like a consumer product rather than a medical device, potentially misrepresenting its early-stage capabilities.

Thread Retraction: Arbaugh’s implant faced 85% electrode thread detachment due to unexpected brain movement. This was addressed in subsequent surgeries.

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By early 2027, Neuralink had implanted at least nine participants in the U.S. In late 2024, Health Canada approved the first Canadian trial, with surgeries at Toronto’s University Health Network in 2025 — the first outside the U.S.

Neuralink plans a gradual expansion: 11 surgeries in 2024, 27 in 2025, 79 in 2026, and nearly 500 by 2027. Wider commercial use depends on regulatory approvals, long-term safety, and engineering challenges.

Neuralink represents a potentially transformative step in neurotechnology, allowing people with paralysis to regain control of digital devices and interact with the world in unprecedented ways. While early results are promising, ethical, technical, and regulatory hurdles remain, and Musk’s most ambitious visions — merging humans with AI — are still far from reality.

For Arbaugh and the first participants, however, Neuralink is already life-changing: a glimpse of a future where thoughts can shape technology directly.