A woman fitted with a chip in her brain has been able to write her name for the first time in 20 years using only her thoughts.

Audrey Crews is a participant in California-based neurotechnology company Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI) trial. 

The company was founded by Elon Musk in 2016. Over the past nine years its team of neuroscientists and engineers has been developing a coin-sized BCI device. Surgically implanted beneath the skull, the device translates neural signals into actions.

It works by detecting and recording electrical signals from neurons in the user’s brain. These signals are then wirelessly transmitted to a device, enabling the user to control the device in real time through thought. 

As Neuralink explains, the BCI implant is designed to interpret a person’s neural activity so they can operate a computer or smartphone by simply intending to move. No wires or physical movement are required.

It is aimed at those who have severe paralysis and other neurological conditions that impair movement or communication.

Following animal studies, it has now entered human trials as part of its PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) study – an investigational medical device trial for its fully-implantable wireless BCI.

Those taking part in the trial have limited or no ability to use both hands due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The study aims to evaluate the safety of the implant and assess its ability to enable people with quadriplegia to control external devices with their thoughts.

Crews, who has been paralysed since the age of 16, has been one of the first to be fitted with the implant and is identified as ‘P9’ in the study. Her surgery took place at the University of Miami Health Centre.

Taking to X, she posted a photo of the word ‘Audrey’ scribbled on a laptop screen, marking the first time in 20 years that she has been able to write her own name.

The post garnered almost three million views and thousands of comments. This included one from Elon Musk, who posted: “She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realise it is possible.”

In a follow-up post, Crews explained what she has been through as P9 in the Neuralink trial. 

She said: “I had surgery last week and everything is going amazing. It was brain surgery, they drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex. The chip is about the size of a quarter. 

“The BCI lets me control my computer using my mind. I’ll be able to control more electronic devices in the near future. I also want to clarify this implant will not allow me to walk again or regain movement. It’s strictly for telepathy only.”