Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that his company Neuralink implants the first brain chip in human patients. The billionaire said preliminary results were “promising,” adding that the product was named after its ability to communicate with spirits, or telepathy.

First human receives implant @Neuralink Yesterday, recovery was good.

Preliminary results show promise for neuronal spike detection.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024

“Preliminary results show promise for neuron spike detection,” Musk said in a post on X, referring to the brain’s ability to send signals to the body.

The startup received approval from U.S. health regulators last year to conduct the first human trials of its implant, which it aims to use to help paralyzed patients.

How does it work?

In a post on X, Musk explained how implants could connect the brain to any electronic device, adding that implants would be useful for people with physical disabilities.

first @Neuralink The product is called Telepathy

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024

“Just by thinking, you can control your phone or computer and control almost any device through them. The first users will be those who have lost limbs. Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a typist or an auctioneer Faster. That’s the goal,” he said.

Neuralink says the implants are made of “ultra-thin” wires that transmit signals from the brain and connect those signals to commands on electronic devices.

How will it be used?

According to their website, the company’s mission is to create a “universal brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs.”

The research trial, called PRIME (Precision Robotic Implantable Brain-Computer Interface), will include people with quadriplegia, as well as people with spinal cord injuries and even amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Watch our latest video to learn more about the PRIME study! 🧠📱 pic.twitter.com/7zTMFzdZsF

— Neuralink (@neuralink) November 22, 2023

is it safe?

Musk’s ambitious efforts to make telepathy a reality have also come under scrutiny after the company was fined this month for violating trial safety protocols.

The $5 billion company has also been accused of misleading investors about the safety of the technology after animal testing showed paralysis, seizures and brain swelling in study subjects.

(Institutional investment)