Elon Musk’s Brain Chip to Be Tested on Brits

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Neuralink is crossing the pond. Elon Musk’s brain chip is due to start clinical trials in Great Britain, and he is inviting patients with neurological disorders to sign up.

The Neuralink brain-computer interface (BCI) connects the human brain directly to digital systems with the N1 chip. By reading brain activity through hundreds of electrodes embedded in threads thinner than a hair, it allows patients with paralysis to control external devices such as computers, smartphones, or robotic limbs with their minds. Musk has also claimed the BCI could eventually treat blindness, speech loss, mental health problems, insomnia, addiction, and a number of other disorders.

PRIME human trials show early promise

Despite a number of controversies, mainly concerning the welfare of the monkeys it was tested on, Neuralink’s BCI has had some impressive feats. Although the US Food and Drug Administration initially rejected it in 2022 over “major safety concerns,” additional testing led to approval for human trials, and the first human patient received an implant in January 2024.

In the following few months, Neuralink announced results from the so-called Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (PRIME) human study, including that patients were able to move computer mice, play video games, write, and create designs with CAD software. In December 2024, Neuralink expanded human trials to Canada.

As of late June 2025, seven quadriplegia patients have Neuralink implants. 

British clinical trial to evaluate Neuralink’s capabilities

The British trial program “aims to evaluate the safety of our implant and surgical robot and assess the initial functionality of our BCI for enabling people with severe paralysis to control devices and engage with the digital world using only their thoughts,” according to Neuralink’s announcement.

The GB-PRIME trials will take place in partnership with University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“This marks an important step towards developing innovative BCI technology that has the potential to transform the lives of individuals with neurological disorders around the world,” Neuralink said. It received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Health Research Authority, Health and Care Research Wales, and the London–Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee. 

British residents can apply to be part of the Neuralink clinical trial if they have limited or no ability to use both hands due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or other neurological conditions, and are over age 22. Up to seven people will be chosen and could undergo their surgery at UCLH’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

Will brain implants become mainstream in the next decade?

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman said in June that he believes that “true high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces” could be one of the advancements that superintelligence allows by 2035. Superintelligent artificial intelligence systems are those that surpass human capabilities, and many of the tech giants, including OpenAI and Meta, are aggressively pursuing them. While many people may not choose to have such an implant, “at least some people will probably decide to ‘plug in,’” Altman predicted. 

Neuralink envisions a future where its chips can generate the company at least $1 billion in annual revenue by 2031, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly aims to perform 20,000 implants a year at five clinics and will offer three BCI systems:

• Telepathy for allowing people with paralysis to control devices with their minds.
• Blindsight for restoring vision.
• Deep for treating tremors and Parkinson’s disease. 

In May 2025, Neuralink received FDA approval for the N1 implant for speech restoration.

Neuralink is not the only company pursuing brain implant tech that could meet such predicted demand; Apple is developing technology that will allow users to control iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro headsets with their brain signals in collaboration with the biotech company Synchron.

Progress in BCI technology like Neuralink’s could be significantly accelerated by the development of neuromorphic AI chips, which are designed to process information the way the human brain does.