Neuralink’s first patient shares life 18 months after 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:

“Technically I am a cyborg because I have been enhanced by a ‘machine,’ but I still see myself as a regular guy… But it’s fun to play around with.”