Neuralink scales up — and aims to restore sight

Following its first implant, Neuralink scaled rapidly. By early 2026 at least 21 people had received the device — all actively using it, with zero reported serious adverse device events — across a trial now spanning the US, Canada, UK and UAE. Participants have controlled cursors, typed, played video games and even created digital art with their minds.

In September 2024 the FDA granted a "breakthrough device" designation to Blindsight, a separate Neuralink implant that stimulates the visual cortex directly to restore a form of vision to people who have lost both eyes and the optic nerve. Early vision would be low-resolution, with the long-term aim of eventually exceeding natural sight.

A breakthrough designation speeds review but doesn't guarantee success — full trials remain ahead. Still, moving from a single experimental implant to a growing, safe, multi-country program in just two years is a serious clinical achievement for a field where progress is usually measured in decades.