A brain-computer startup beat Elon Musk's Neuralink to implanting its first device in a US patient

Synchron, a brain-computer interface startup, reportedly implanted its first device in a US patient earlier this month -- overtaking Elon Musk's Neuralink for the third time. The startup implanted a 1.5-inch device into the brain of an ALS patient at Mount Sinai West medical center in New York on July 6, Bloomberg first reported. A spokesperson from Synchron did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The purpose of the device is to allow the patient to communicate -- even after they have lost the ability to move -- by using their thoughts to send emails and texts. Bloomberg reported that Synchron has already implanted the device in four patients in Australia who have been able to use the brain implant to send messages on WhatsApp and shop online.