A PARALYSED woman has written her name for the first time in 20 years using only her mind.
Audrey Crews is one of the participants in Elon Musk’s Neuralink trial, having had a computer chip installed in her brain.
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The chip, or brain-computer interface (BCI) as Neuralink calls it, connects Crews’ brain to a computer and allows her to control the mouse on the screen.
Crews lost movement at age 16, and is the first woman to receive the implant.
Sharing the moment on X (formerly Twitter), Crews posted: “I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I’m working on it. Lol #Neuralink.”
In shaky writing on her laptop screen is the word ‘Audrey’.
Musk, co-founder of Neuralink, replied to the post, saying: “She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realise it is possible.”
It’s hard for most people to imagine what it would be like writing – or even gaming – using only your mind.
But Crews described it as “like writing your name in your head”.
The telepathic powers were granted to Crews as part of the company’s PRIME study, which aims to test BCI chips in human subjects.
Once inserted in the participants’ brain, the chip allows users to control digital interfaces through brain signals alone.
In a follow-up post, Crews explained: “It was brain surgery, they drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex.
“The chip is about the size of a quarter.”
While Musk hopes the technology will one day be used to help quadriplegics walk again, the company is still far away from this end result.
What is Neuralink?
Here’s what you need to know…
- Neuralink is a project that aims to embed computer chips in people’s brains
- The idea is to give humans hyper-intelligence by merging them with artificial intelligence
- Tiny threads thinner than a human hair would pump information into your noggin
- It would work a bit like an internet cable, transmitting data in and out at high speeds
- As well as making us smarter, the project promises to merge us with computers and phones
- That means you could control your gizmos with your brain
- Neuralink is bankrolled by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk
- He’s previously said the tech could save us from a machine uprising in future
The device does not yet restore physical mobility.
“I also want to clarify this implant will not allow me to walk again or regain movement,” said Crews.
“It’s strictly for telepathy only.”
Crews is one of seven paralysed patients undergoing the trial.
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