A woman paralyzed for over 20 years has written her name again — using only her thoughts.
Audrey Crews, who lost all movement at age 16, became the first woman in the world to receive a brain-computer chip from Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The chip allows her to control a computer with her mind.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Crews shared a photo showing her name, “Audrey,” written on a laptop screen in violet. She wrote, “I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I’m working on it. Lol #Neuralink.”
The moment quickly went viral, with more than 2 million views. Elon Musk responded, saying:
“She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don’t realize this is possible.”
How It Works
Crews is part of Neuralink’s PRIME Study, which tests brain chips in human volunteers. She explained that the chip was implanted through brain surgery, where doctors placed 128 tiny threads into her motor cortex. The chip, about the size of a quarter, reads her brain signals and turns them into computer actions.
While the chip doesn’t restore movement, it gives her new digital freedom. “It’s strictly for telepathy only,” she wrote.
Crews thanked the University of Miami Health Center, calling the medical staff “some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.”
She added, “I am the first woman in the world to do this.”
More Neuralink Users Join the Trial
Another Neuralink user, Nick Wray, also shared his experience online. Wray, who lives with ALS, said he hasn’t felt this kind of digital freedom in years.
“Today is day 3 of using the N1 Telepathy chip,” he wrote. “I hope to contribute to the future of this technology.”
He added that, despite his condition, he feels grateful:
“If ALS is the price of admission to an opportunity of this magnitude, you pay it; gladly, willingly, and without hesitation.”
Neuralink plans to expand its human trials in the coming months, aiming to help more people with disabilities communicate and interact through brain-computer interfaces.
