Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of the neurotechnology firm Neuralink, has revealed that the inaugural human recipient of the brain-chip implant from the startup is progressing well in their recovery.

The surgical procedure doesn't come as a surprise, as Neuralink received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September to initiate the first trial of its implant on humans.

In a post on X on Monday, Musk shared, "Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," just a day after the chip was successfully implanted.

Elon Musk has said the Neralink product is called Telepathy.

Neuron spikes, described by the National Institute of Health as electrical and chemical signals transmitted by cells to convey information within the brain and body, were the focus of Musk's statement. However, specific details were not provided.

Amidst discussions on video games and banter with far-right influencers in subsequent tweets, Musk revealed that Neuralink's inaugural product is named "Telepathy." According to Musk, Telepathy allows control of devices like phones or computers through thought alone. He expressed a vision where individuals who have lost the use of their limbs, such as Stephen Hawking, could communicate more efficiently using Telepathy.

Musk, known for making ambitious promises, acknowledged the milestone but has had a mixed track record in fulfilling such commitments. Notably, he highlighted Neuralink's progress towards its goal of a brain-computer interface.

The first product from Neuralink, as Musk had suggested in 2017, was expected to be on the market "in about four years." While Tuesday's news is seen as a "significant milestone" by experts like Anne Vanhoestenberghe, a professor at King's College London, the true success of the technology will be evaluated over the long term.

Neuralink's ongoing study, Prime, involves a trial for its wireless brain-computer interface, assessing the safety of the implant and surgical robot. The interface aims to empower individuals with quadriplegia to control devices using their thoughts. Neuralink and Musk have not yet responded to requests for additional details.

In response to a crypto influencer quoting him on X, Musk mentioned another Neuralink product named "Blindsight," intended to contribute to the restoration of eyesight.

Recent reports revealed that Neuralink faced fines for violating US Department of Transportation rules concerning the movement of hazardous materials. Inspections in February 2023 found regulatory lapses in the company's facilities, including failure to register as a transporter of hazardous material and improper packaging of hazardous waste.

Despite these challenges, Neuralink received FDA clearance for its human trial last year and attained a valuation as high as $5 billion in private stock trades in June. The company initiated the implant trial in September, using a robot to surgically place the implant's ultra-fine threads facilitating signal transmission in participants' brains.

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