In September 2023, after a friend from military school told him that Neuralink had begun recruiting for human trials, Arbaugh applied to the study. He began screening through the
Barrow Neurological Institute the following day and, about three months later, was told that he had been selected as the first participant. Arbaugh underwent surgery at Barrow in
Phoenix, Arizona in late January 2024.
Elon Musk announced on January 29 that the first human patient had received the device and was recovering well, and Reuters later identified the participant as Arbaugh. Arbaugh received Neuralink's N1 implant, which uses 64 flexible threads carrying 1,024 electrodes to record neural activity in the
motor cortex and translate intended movement into computer control. He later said he learned to use the system through both attempted and imagined movement. Reuters quoted
neural engineering expert Kip Ludwig as saying that the demonstration was promising but not a breakthrough and that the technology remained at an early stage. By August 2025,
Fortune reported that Arbaugh was using the device about 10 hours a day, had enrolled in prerequisite classes at a community college in Arizona for a degree in neuroscience, and was developing a business focused on paid public speaking engagements. ==References==