Elon Musk's Neuralink chip lets a paralysed woman control computer — But that's not all she can do now……..

Time of India

6 days ago

A woman paralysed for 20 years has regained the ability to interact with a computer using only her mind owing to a brain implant developed by Elon Musk's company Neuralink. Audrey Crews, one of the recipients of Neuralink's brain-computer interface (BCI), underwent the surgery earlier this month and has since posted updates on her progress, revealing she can now type her name, play games, and even draw through mental commands.
Her case marks the first time Neuralink has successfully implanted the chip in a female patient and conducted two surgeries in one day.
How the brain chip works
Neuralink's technology is centred on a chip, known as the N1 Implant or 'The Link,' which is placed inside the skull and connects to the brain's motor cortex via ultra-thin threads. These threads contain electrodes that pick up neural signals—electrical activity generated when a person thinks about movement or actions.
These signals are wirelessly transmitted to an external device, such as a computer, where they are decoded by algorithms into actions. This allows the user to control the device without any physical movement.
According to Neuralink, the system is fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, and includes a small battery that can be charged wirelessly.
What Audrey Crews says about her surgery
Audrey Crews, who now publicly identifies herself as 'P9' (Patient 9), underwent her procedure at the University of Miami Health Centre. In her post on X (formerly Twitter), she explained that doctors drilled a hole in her skull and inserted 128 electrode threads into her motor cortex.
'The chip is about the size of a quarter,' she wrote, adding that the surgery went 'amazingly.' Robotic assistance was used during the procedure to ensure precision.
'The BCI lets me control my computer using my mind. I'll be able to control more electronic devices in the near future,' Crews shared in another post. However, she made it clear that the implant does not help her walk or regain muscle movement. 'It's strictly for telepathy only,' she wrote.
Here's more information about how my BCI, brain computer interface, implant works and my surgery. I had surgery last week and everything is going amazing. 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…
Daily tasks through thought: Crews shares her progress
Following the surgery, Crews has posted updates documenting her progress. She shared screenshots and images showing her first attempts at writing her name, drawing digital doodles, and using a cursor—all using only her thoughts.
'Imagine your pointer finger is left click and the cursor movement is with your wrist. Without physically doing it. Just a normal day using telepathy,' she explained in one of her posts.
Crews added she plans to post more videos once she returns home from Miami. 'I am the first woman in the world to do this,' she wrote.
She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don't realize this is possible. https://t.co/5XnOaLfJU7
Musk and Neuralink respond
Elon Musk acknowledged Crews' story and reshared it, stating: 'She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don't realise this is possible.'
Neuralink also confirmed that the procedure was part of a milestone, noting it was the first time two surgeries (patients P8 and P9) had been successfully completed on the same day.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved human trials for Neuralink in May 2023. The technology is still under scrutiny but continues to push forward in clinical use.
As Neuralink expands its trials, Audrey Crews' case becomes a key example of how BCIs may restore some autonomy to people living with paralysis.