“Neuralink has installed its brain implant in a third patient, enabling a paralyzed man with ALS to operate a computer with his thoughts and speak with an AI-generated version of his original voice. The implant has also received a “breakthrough device” designation from the FDA, granting an expedited review and development process from the agency for uses related to speech restoration,” reports The Doomslayer.
“Brad Smith, an Arizona husband and father with ALS, has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk’s company,” reports Fox News.
He is also the first ALS patient and the first non-verbal person to receive the implant, he shared in a post on X on Sunday.
‘I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication,’ Smith, who was diagnosed in 2020, wrote in the post, which was also shared by Musk. He went on to thank Musk.
Smith is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe. He created a video using the brain-computer interface (BCI) to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro, he stated…
The video was narrated by Smith’s ‘old voice,’ he said, which was cloned by artificial intelligence from recordings before he lost the use of his voice.
“Neuralink has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ‘breakthrough’ tag for its device to restore communication for individuals with severe speech impairment,” reports Reuters. “The device would help those affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions.”
