Elon Musk's brain-chip startup shares video it says shows a monkey telepathically 'typing'

During Neuralink's show-and-tell event on Wednesday night, Musk shared a video of a monkey using telepathy.

A monkey with a brain chip is shown in a video typing on a screen. Musk explained that the monkey was using his mind to spell out what the computer program wanted him to write.

I don't want to sell this thing more than I need to. Musk spoke.

The founder of the startup said in the video that the Neuralink implant could help people who were quadriplegic use their phone, saying that they would be able to control their phone better than someone who has working hands.

A Neuralink spokesman didn't reply to a request for comment.

Neuralink was co-founded by Musk. One day, Neuralink's chips, which are coin-sized devices designed to be implanted in the brain via a surgical robot, could do anything from cure paralysis to give people telepathy, according to the billionaire.

A demo video was shared by Neuralink that appeared to show a monkey playing a video game. Neuralink shared footage of a chip that had been implanted in a pig.

Musk used the video to address the concerns of the activist group over Neuralink's treatment of monkeys. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said earlier this year that it had obtained records showing the monkeys experienced extreme suffering as a result of inadequate animal care. Ahead of Neuralink, the animal rights group called on Musk to release details about the monkeys.

Musk said on Wednesday that the monkeys actually enjoy doing the demos as they are rewarded with fruit.

A monkey sucks on a metal feeding straw while Sake gets a few grapes in a video.

Neuralink will begin human trials in the next six months if the FDA approves the company's application. He plans to get his own brain implant once it's available. Musk missed his own projections for when Neuralink would begin implanting its devices in humans.