Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Neuralink, said the first person received an implant from the brain chip startup on Sunday and was recovering well post on Twitter/X on Monday.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the company approval last year to conduct its first attempt to test its implant in humans.
“Early results show promising detection of neuron spikes,” Musk added.
Spikes are the activity of neurons, which the National Institutes of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information throughout the brain and to the body.
The startup's Prime study is a test of its wireless brain-computer interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot.
The study aims to evaluate the functionality of the interface, which allows people with quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, to control devices with their minds, the company's website says.
Neuralink did not immediately respond to a request for further details.
Portal reported earlier this month that Neuralink was fined for violating U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) regulations on transporting hazardous materials.
During inspections of the company's locations in Texas and California in February 2023, DoT investigators found that the company had failed as a transporter of dangerous goods, according to agency records.
They also found improper packaging of hazardous waste, including the flammable liquid xylene. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylene can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, loss of muscle coordination and even death.
Neuralink received FDA approval last year for its first attempt to test the company's implant in humans, a key milestone for the startup. Portal reported in June that the company was valued at up to $5 billion based on private stock trades.
Neuralink announced the implant trial in September. The company said that during the study, a robot it developed will surgically place the implants' “ultra-fine” threads, which help transmit signals, into participants' brains.