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By Theo Burman
Live News Reporter
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The first patient with ALS to receive a Neuralink brain transplant has demonstrated his new ability to communicate with only his mind.
Bradford Smith, who is the third human to receive the transplant in history, said on X (formerly Twitter) that he was able to "type with my brain" after being rendered largely immobile and nonverbal by the motor neuron disease.
Newsweek reached out to Smith via social media for comment.
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Why It Matters
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, is a motor neuron disease that causes a loss of muscle control and speech, often confining patients to a wheelchair. The development of Elon Musk-owned Neuralink, which began human testing in 2024, is a significant breakthrough in treating the disease, as it appears capable of restoring communication for those who are unable to speak.
What To Know
In a video uploaded to his X account on Monday, Smith said he was the "third person in the world to receive the Neuralink brain implant."
"I'm also the first person with ALS and the first nonverbal, which means that I rely on it for all communication," he said.
The Neuralink device, which Smith described as about the size of "five U.S. quarters in a stack," is implanted in the skull and connected to the brain's motor cortex, which controls the body's movement, through flexible threads.
These threads detect neural activity and transmit the signals wirelessly to external computing systems, where machine learning algorithms interpret them into actionable commands.
Neuralink commenced human trials in January 2024 after receiving clearance to do so from the Food and Drug Administration in May 2023.
In the video, which Smith narrated using an AI-cloned version of his voice, he said: "I have ALS, a really weird disease that kills the motor neurons that control my muscles but not affecting my mind. My experience has been pretty interesting, starting with a shoulder injury that would not heal and ending up with my current status."
Smith, who said he could move only his eyes and required a ventilator to breathe, added, "Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication."
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What People Are Saying
Brad Smith wrote on X on Monday: "I am the 3rd person in the world to receive the Neuralink brain implant. 1st with ALS. 1st Nonverbal. I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication. Ask me anything!"
Neuralink said in a news release issued on February 5: "In just the past couple of weeks, the Link has enabled Brad to watch his son win a regional robotics competition, chat with neighbors at the park, and give a talk with a live Q&A session to the youth at his local church.
"We're currently working with Brad to design a communication system from the ground up by combining language models and novel neural decoding strategies. Our goal is to allow him to engage in conversations at a more natural speaking pace."
What Happens Next
Neuralink plans to continue its human clinical trials, writing in February, "We have active trials in the United States and Canada and are connecting with people interested in potential future clinical investigations in the United Kingdom."
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