It was February 2024 when Noland Arbaugh, the first person to receive Elon Musk’s experimental brain chip, appeared on stage in a wheelchair at a Neuralink company meeting, publicly revealing his identity for the first time.
The room of employees broke into applause as Arbaugh—paralyzed below the shoulders since a 2016 swimming accident—beamed under his red Texas A&M cap. His opening words were simple: “Hello, humans.”
Just a month earlier, Arbaugh had undergone surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix to have Neuralink’s chip implanted in his brain. In under two hours, a robot embedded the device and connected more than 1,000 electrodes to his neurons. The brain-computer interface (BCI) now reads his brain signals and translates them into digital commands. In plain terms, Arbaugh can control a computer with his thoughts—enabling him to play Mario Kart, turn on his TV, or adjust his air purifier without lifting a finger.
On his very first try, Arbaugh broke the 2017 world record for speed and precision in BCI cursor control. “It was very, very easy to learn how to use,” he recalled.
As Neuralink’s first patient—known internally as “P1”—Arbaugh joined a small group of about 80 people worldwide who have ever been fitted with such a device. Researchers have been testing brain chips for decades, but Neuralink’s model stands out. Unlike most competitors, it uses more than 1,000 electrodes, targets the brain’s motor cortex, and operates wirelessly. The wireless feature allows patients to move freely, though Arbaugh has to recharge the device every five hours using a coil hidden in his hats.
Being Neuralink’s first patient also made Arbaugh a public figure. Since then, he has been invited to podcasts, interviewed by journalists, and even targeted by hackers and a false SWAT raid at his home.
When I finally spoke with Arbaugh 18 months later, he described a life transformed. “I’m just so busy all the time,” he laughed. “That is so different than before…I feel like I’m making up for eight years of doing nothing—just lying around, staring at walls.”
Since his surgery, eight more people have joined Neuralink’s ongoing clinical trials, which are now operating in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and the United Arab Emirates. Participants include individuals with paralysis and ALS. Neuralink’s cofounder and president, DJ Seo, recently said the company’s ultimate aim is “to really build a whole brain interface.”
For Arbaugh, the impact is already clear. He uses the device about 10 hours daily to study, read, game, and manage his schedule. He has enrolled in community college classes to pursue neuroscience and is preparing to launch a speaking career. “I feel like I have potential again,” he said. “Now I’m finding a way to fulfill that potential in meaningful ways.”
Arbaugh says he signed up for the trial almost on a whim after a friend told him about Neuralink. “I never doubted for a second that it would work,” he said. Despite the risks of being the first human subject, he was confident. “Even if it didn’t work—even if something went wrong—I knew it would help someone down the road. They would learn something and push this technology forward.”
His parents were understandably nervous when they read the lengthy consent forms listing possible risks. But Arbaugh says they stood by his decision, happy to see him genuinely excited about something again.
He also chose to reveal his identity publicly to inspire confidence in the technology. “I think it’s one of the biggest leaps in technology that we’ve had in a really long time,” he said. Neuralink has never restricted what he can say, though Arbaugh has occasionally held back information—for example, when some threads retracted from his brain after surgery, temporarily reducing device performance. Neuralink later disclosed the issue publicly after fixing it. Arbaugh says he stayed quiet to avoid fueling doubt. “That’s not what I want. I love this thing. I love what Neuralink is doing.”
Neuralink is now expanding its ambitions. The company is preparing trials in the UAE to restore vision for blind patients and is experimenting with robotic limbs that users could control—and even feel—with their thoughts. Musk has floated the idea of linking the technology with Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robot. “The future is going to be weird, but pretty cool,” he said during a summer update.
The company still faces criticism over its invasive approach, demanding workplace culture, and treatment of test animals. Neuralink maintains that its research is carried out as humanely as possible. Musk has emphasized that the company is moving cautiously with human participants: “We’re very cautious with the Neuralinks in humans. That’s the reason we’re not moving faster than we are—because we are taking great care with each individual.”
Meanwhile, investment is flowing in, and more participants are joining studies across the globe. Arbaugh himself has become something of an ambassador for the technology—disarmingly humble and good-natured, despite his groundbreaking role.
He describes his conversations with Musk as casual. After their first FaceTime call on surgery day, they later met in person. “He’s a cool dude…super impressive, but at the end of the day just another guy,” Arbaugh said.
Asked if he sees himself as a cyborg, Arbaugh grinned: “Technically I am a cyborg because I have been enhanced by a ‘machine.’ But I still see myself as a regular guy. It’s fun to play around with.”
Now, 18 months after his surgery, Arbaugh is deeply optimistic. “I always thought paralysis would be fixed with drugs or stem cells,” he said. “But now I see how technology is going to solve so many things. I think a lot of disabilities, cures, and answers will come through tech—and that kind of surprised me.”
For now, he’s savoring his new independence—going back to school, launching a business, and even playing Mario Kart with his dad. “I definitely didn’t expect for this to ever happen,” Arbaugh said.
