History of Neuralink in Timeline

Neuralink is an American neurotechnology company founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and a team of scientists and engineers. It focuses on developing implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The company publicly announced its existence in March 2017 and continues to work on advancing its BCI technology.

2014: Non-invasive BMI Techniques Demonstrated at FIFA World Cup

In 2014, during the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup, non-invasive techniques for Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI) were demonstrated as part of the Walk Again Project. This highlighted alternative approaches to Neuralink's invasive methods.

2016: Demonstration of Robotic Prosthetic Arm with Haptic Feedback

In 2016, a man controlled a robotic prosthetic arm with haptic feedback. He used the arm to give President Obama a fist bump.

January 2017: Musk proxies approached Pedram Mohseni and Randolph Nudo

In January 2017, representatives for Elon Musk contacted Pedram Mohseni and Randolph Nudo, who held the rights to the name "NeuraLink" and a prototype device. The two neuroscientists had been developing an electronic chip for treating traumatic brain injuries, but they sold their company's name and prototype after Musk's representatives offered them tens of thousands of dollars.

January 2017: Purchase of Neuralink trademark

In January 2017, the trademark "Neuralink" was acquired from its previous owners.

March 2017: First public report of Neuralink

In March 2017, Neuralink was first publicly reported after being launched in 2016 by Elon Musk and a team of scientists and engineers.

April 2017: Neuralink aims to treat brain diseases and pursue human enhancement

In April 2017, Neuralink announced its short-term goal of developing devices to treat serious brain diseases, with the long-term ambition of human enhancement, also known as transhumanism. Elon Musk's interest in this concept was partly influenced by the "neural lace" idea from Iain M. Banks' "The Culture" novel series.

2017: Researchers Express Cautious Optimism Regarding Neuralink Developments

In 2017, researchers, including Thomas Oxley, commented on Neuralink's developments. While Oxley found them "exciting", he anticipated no tangible results in the near future, highlighting the challenges inherent in brain-computer interface technology.

September 2018: Musk is majority owner

As of September 2018, Elon Musk was the majority owner of Neuralink but did not hold an executive position.

2019: Neuralink reveals prototype technology

In 2019, during a live presentation, Neuralink revealed its first prototype technology which included ultra-thin probes inserted into the brain, a neurosurgical robot, and a high-density electronic system for processing neuronal information.

July 2020: FDA breakthrough device designation

In July 2020, Neuralink secured a breakthrough device designation from the FDA, allowing limited human testing within FDA guidelines for medical devices.

August 2020: Internal conflicts within the company

According to a Stat News article in August 2020, only three of the eight founding scientists remained at Neuralink due to internal conflicts between rushed timelines and the slow pace of scientific progress.

August 2020: Live demo with pig Gertrude

In August 2020, Neuralink conducted a live demonstration showing real-time brain activity of a pig named Gertrude. A removable device implanted in Gertrude's brain recorded signals from neurons related to her snout as she interacted with her environment, demonstrating the technology's potential to read and interpret brain signals.

August 2020: Musk Describes Neuralink Device as 'Fitbit in your skull'

In August 2020, during a live demonstration, Elon Musk likened the Neuralink device to "a Fitbit in your skull." This claim, along with others about treating various conditions, was met with criticism from neuroscientists and publications, who questioned the evidence supporting Neuralink's advancements and objectives.

2020: Criticism of Neuralink's Novelty Claims

In 2020, Thiago Arzua and Miguel Nicolelis criticized Neuralink's presentation, arguing that its functions were not novel and that the ideas behind brain-machine interfaces have been around for at least 50 years. They pointed to prior demonstrations, such as a man controlling a robotic arm with haptic feedback to fist-bump President Obama in 2016, and Nicolelis cited similar work from his lab in the early 2000s.

April 2021: Monkey plays Pong using Neuralink implant

In April 2021, Neuralink demonstrated a monkey playing the game "Pong" using a Neuralink implant. While similar technology existed since 2002, the wireless nature and increased number of implanted electrodes represented notable engineering improvements.

May 2021: Max Hodak leaves Neuralink

In May 2021, Neuralink's co-founder and president, Max Hodak, announced his departure from the company.

February 2022: Neuralink denies animal abuse

In February 2022, Neuralink acknowledged that macaque monkeys were euthanized after experimentation, but denied allegations of animal abuse.

December 2022: Federal investigation for animal welfare violations

In December 2022, Neuralink was under federal investigation by the USDA for potential animal welfare violations. Reports also surfaced from Neuralink employees alleging that rushed testing, driven by Musk's demands, led to animal suffering and deaths.

2022: Pigs develop granulomas in their brains

In 2022, after the FDA rejected Neuralink's application for human clinical trials, further tests on pigs revealed that some developed granulomas (inflammatory tissues) in their brains. The cause was undetermined, but Neuralink denied the implant and threads were responsible.

2022: Allegations of animal mistreatment

In 2022, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) accused Neuralink and UC Davis of mistreating monkeys, causing psychological distress, suffering, and infections. They claimed at least 15 monkeys died or were euthanized, and accused UC Davis of withholding evidence of the mistreatment.

May 2023: Approval for Human Trials in the United States

In May 2023, Neuralink received approval to begin human trials in the United States, marking a significant step forward for the company's brain-computer interface technology.

May 2023: FDA approves human clinical trials

In May 2023, the FDA approved Neuralink's application to pursue human clinical trials after initially rejecting it in 2022 due to safety concerns.

July 2023: USDA investigation finds no animal welfare breaches

In July 2023, an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture found no evidence of animal welfare breaches in Neuralink's trials, other than a self-reported incident from 2019. The PCRM disputed these findings.

September 2023: First human trials begin

In September 2023, Neuralink initiated its first human trials under an investigational device exemption from the FDA. These trials recruited participants with quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

September 2023: Details on primate deaths revealed

In September 2023, a Wired exposé, based on public records and confidential interviews, detailed complications with electrode installation that led to primate deaths. Complications included partial paralysis, bloody diarrhea, and brain swelling.

October 2023: Report on hiding animal suffering

In October 2023, Wired reported that Neuralink attempted to conceal information about animal suffering and deaths from the public.

November 2023: Lawmakers request investigation into Neuralink

In November 2023, U.S. lawmakers requested that the Securities and Exchange Commission investigate Neuralink for allegedly misleading investors by omitting information about potential animal deaths.

January 29, 2024: First Neuralink device implanted in a human

On January 29, 2024, Elon Musk announced that Neuralink had successfully implanted a Neuralink device in a human patient, and the patient was recovering.

February 8, 2024: Neuralink moves incorporation to Nevada

On February 8, 2024, Elon Musk moved Neuralink's business incorporation from Delaware to Nevada. This change occurred after a Delaware court voided Musk's pay package at Tesla.

March 20, 2024: Neuralink Introduces First Clinical Trial Participant

On March 20, 2024, Neuralink introduced Noland Arbaugh, the first participant with a Neuralink implant in a clinical trial, via livestream. Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, demonstrated his ability to control a computer cursor, play music, and play chess using the implant. He expressed optimism about its impact on his life, despite some device issues.

March 21, 2024: Musk claims Blindsight working in trials

On March 21, 2024, Elon Musk stated that Neuralink's second product, Blindsight, was functioning in monkey trials. He also said that no monkeys had died or been seriously injured by a Neuralink device, which contradicted earlier reports.

May 29, 2024: Musk requests public input on data compression challenge

On May 29, 2024, Elon Musk asked for public ideas on a data compression challenge at Neuralink, suggesting they needed over 200x compression, but software consultant Roy van Rijn disputed this prospect.

September 2024: Announcement of Blindsight development

In September 2024, Neuralink announced its latest project, Blindsight, aimed at restoring some level of vision in blind individuals with undamaged visual cortices. The U.S. federal government granted Blindsight "breakthrough" status, expediting its development.

December 2024: SEC reopens investigation

In December 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission reopened a separate investigation related to alleged animal abuses at Neuralink. This was prompted by a letter that Musk posted on X, in which his lawyer informed him of the investigation.

December 2024: PCRM news release details monkey suffering

In a December 2024 news release, the PCRM stated that Neuralink's devices caused debilitating health effects in monkeys, leading to euthanasia. The monkeys experienced chronic infections, paralysis, brain swelling, loss of coordination, and depression as a result of Neuralink's experiments conducted from 2017 to 2020 at the University of California, Davis.