Footage shows Neuralink patient playing Mario Kart with his mind
Neuralink's first human patient got the tech company's chip implanted in his brain only recently, and more details have been coming out about how it's changed his life.
After being shown playing online chess earlier this month, Noland Arbaugh has now been seen playing Mario Kart with his brain, something that was impossible before the Neuralink implant.
The clip is buried in a pretty lengthy video posted to Arbaugh's own X page this week and starts at around the 20-minute mark.
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It's a fairly short segment, that seems to show Arbaugh controlling Yoshi in the game, playing split-screen against his dad, something that he thought was ruled out when he was paralyzed from the shoulders down eight years ago.
This is a pretty major demonstration of how powerful the implant can be, letting Arbaugh interface with controllers and computers using just his mind, and might well convince another slice of people that this really is the future.
Compared to a much slower and turn-based game like chess, there's a world of difference when stepping into a racer like Mario Kart, which is much faster and more reactive.
The video also shows Arbaugh visiting Neuralink's headquarters, getting a full tour and then participating in a Q&A about his experience so far.
It's really enlightening about what it feels like to have your life changed by this sort of trial.
At one point, Arbaugh says that he had to think very hard about being the first person to have the chip trialled in them, with all the attention it would bring - something that has proved pretty accurate.
The comments under the video are full of praise for Arbaugh's bravery.
One response said: "Noland you are truly a courageous and great ambassador for this ground-breaking technology and you are an inspiration to so many people. Keep pushing the boundaries and setting more records! Thank you for sharing your amazing story as well."
Another person wrote: "You're hilarious, and with such a great attitude and outlook on life."
It's true that as you watch the full video Arbaugh's wit comes across clearly in his responses, as he manages to keep his situation in perspective and reflect on the crazy chain of events that led him to Neuralink.