Elon Musk's Neuralink Is Now Officially Cleared to Start Brain Chip Implants — Here's Who Qualifies For the Trial The billionaire's company is beginning the first round of human trials.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Elon Musk has implanted himself as a changemaker in social media, satellite internet, and electric cars. Now, he's coming for the human brain.

Musk's brain chip technology company, Neuralink, announced on Wednesday that it would begin human trials on patients with paralysis in what's expected to be a six-year-long study.

Dubbed the PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) study, Neuralink will be recruiting qualified paraplegic patients due to "cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)," per the company's release.

Related: Neuralink, a company owned by Elon Musk, implants a chip in a monkey so that it uses a video game with its mind

The trial aims to implant the device into patients' brains so that paralyzed patients can hopefully learn to "control external devices with their thoughts."

Musk confirmed the news via X early Wednesday.

"In the long term, Neuralink hopes to play a role in AI risk civilizational risk reduction by improving human to AI (and human to human) bandwidth by several orders of magnitude," he explained. "Imagine if Stephen Hawking had had this."

Related: Google Ventures, Others Back Elon Musk's Neuralink Startup

Neuralink received FDA approval for human testing in May, after only having previously tested on chimpanzees.

Earlier this year, in February, Neuralink was probed by the U.S. Department of Transportation after being accused of potentially spreading disease and bacteria by not properly transporting and packaging materials from the brain chips used in primates.

The company also faced allegations of animal abuse in 2022 upon its first round of testing.

Neuralink denied the claims.

"If animals must be used in research in the meantime, their lives and experiences should be as vital and naturalistic as possible," the company said at the time. "It is our responsibility as caretakers to ensure that their experience is as peaceful and frankly, as joyful as possible."

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Franchise

From Powerhouses Like Jersey Mike's and Taco Bell to Icons Like Pizza Hut, These are the Top Fast-Food Franchises in 2025

Discover the 10 most successful QSR franchises of 2025, based on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 ranking.

Business Process

Who's in Your Inner Circle? How Your Closest Connections Shape Your Success

Your success is shaped by the five people you spend the most time with — choose wisely.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

'Don't Wait Until Everything Is Just Right': How a Common Frustration Inspired This Entrepreneur to Co-Found a Thriving Business

Mike Mayer, co-founder and co-CEO of Windmill, shares how an annoying struggle with an air conditioning unit sparked the idea for an innovative air quality company.

Science & Technology

3 Reasons Why Web3 Will Flip Digital Ownership On Its Head

Here are the three things that Web3 could completely change about digital ownership.

Business News

Walmart Is Laying Off Hundreds, Relocating Others as the Company Closes a U.S. Office

Walmart is giving some employees at least a month to decide if they want to relocate.