Elon Musk's Neuralink Patient Uses Brain To Play Chess & Mario Kart

Notably, Arbaugh had dislocated two of his vertebrae during a swimming accident in 2016 and thereafter lost sensation and movement below his shoulders.Mint reported.

Arbaugh had received the implant in 2024, when a surgical robot drilled a coin-sized hole in his skull and implanted the Neuralink chip, connecting its over 1,000 electrodes to the neurons in his brain. The device detects and decodes electrical signals in his brain and translates them into digital commands.

Through the brain-computer interface (BCI), Arbaugh is able to control his computer and do things like playing Mario Kart, controlling his television, and turning his air purifier on and off without moving other parts of his body.

In a new interaction with Fortune, Arbaugh talked about the transformative experience with the Neuralink device. 

Arbaugh also talked about his condition before the surgery. He said, “I would stay up all night and sleep all day, and I didn’t really [want to] bother anyone or ruin any plans or get in the way of anything.”

“I just had no purpose… I was just kind of going through the motions, waiting for something to happen,” he added.

In the last 18 months, Arbaugh has gained a lot of autonomy that he had lost due to his disability and is now able to do more things for himself.

“I feel like I have potential again. I guess I always have had potential, but now I’m finding a way to fulfill that potential in meaningful ways. It’s a lot different,” he added.