Paralysed woman writes her name for the first time in 20 years after having Elon Musk Neuralink chip implant surgery
Audrey Crews became the first woman in the world to undergo surgery earlier this month receiving Mr Musk's Neuralink chip implant, allowing her to control a computer with her mind.
Ms Crews recently took to X to show the world how she was able to select a coloured cursor on screen and sign her name through telepathy.
She showed off how she could also draw pictures, scroll with a mouse and use a keyboard just by thinking.
'I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I'm working on it. Lol,' she said.
'I am the first woman in the world to do this.'
Ms Crews was left a quadriplegic at age 16 following a car accident that left the vertebrae in her neck permanently damaged.
By 2016, tech billionaire Musk co-founded Neuralink with expert in neuroscience in hopes of using AI tech to treat brain disorders.
Three years later he revealed the N1 chip, which is placed on the brain to translate electrical signals into tasks.
Ms Crews is just the ninth recipient.
She underwent surgery at the University of Miami Health Centre where surgeons place over 100 threads, thinner than human hair into her motor cortex after drilling through her skull.
The implant, roughly the size of a 10 cent coin, sends those signals to a linked computer or smartphone with Neuralink's software via Bluetooth, allowing patients with paralysis or neurological conditions to communicate digitally.
'Imagine your pointer finger is left click and the cursor is with your wrist, without physically doing it. Just a normal day using telepathy,' she said.
Ms Crews has also started taking requests of what to draw next, recently sketching a cat, a sun and a tree after being asked by X users.
She's also able to play simulation games testing her accuracy and speed by having her cursor track points on the screen as they change.
Mr Musk even replied to a post about Ms Crews' story.
'She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don't realise this is possible,' he said.
While the technology won't allow her to regain movement of her limbs, the advancement has so far impressed Ms Crews who hopes to make the most of it by writing a book about her experiences.
The chip is powered by a small battery that charges wirelessly.
Asked if she ever imagined being able to communicate in such a way again, Ms Crews had one response:
'Not in all my wildest dreams, but the future is here.'
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