Neuralink’s first patient shares life 18 months after implant
The first Neuralink patient gave an interview, sharing how his life has changed 18 months after receiving the brain implant.
The American business magazine Fortune sat down with Neuralink’s first patient to see how his life has changed a year and a half after surgery.
Noland Arbo has been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a diving accident in 2016. In 2024, Neuralink implanted its Telepathy chip in his brain. Soon after, Arbo broke the world record for fastest mind-controlled cursor movement—and even managed to play online chess and Mario Kart.
In the interview, Arbo said the device gave him back a sense of potential and restored the independence he had lost after his accident.
Today, he uses the implant for about ten hours a day to operate his computer, play games, and attend college. He plans to pursue a degree in neurobiology and hopes to build a career through live performances and podcasts.
Neuralink implants its chips into the brain’s motor cortex, the area responsible for movement. The device is wireless but battery-powered—Arbo explained that it needs recharging roughly every five hours.
When asked if he considers himself a cyborg, he replied:
