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Neuralink’s planned second human implant surgery was canceled after the prospective participant was found to have additional medical issues that made them unsuitable for the trial, according to a July 1, 2024 report by Futurism, which cited Bloomberg. The candidate was reported to have ALS, but the specific issues behind the decision were not disclosed. Neuralink later said a second participant received an implant in July 2024; it did not say whether that was the same candidate.
What happened to Neuralink’s planned second participant?
Futurism reported on July 1, 2024, that Neuralink had canceled the planned operation after the prospective participant was found to have additional medical issues. The report identified the unnamed candidate as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but did not specify the additional issues.
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The report attributed an explanation to Michael Lawton, CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, speaking to Bloomberg: “Selecting the right patient for a trial like this is important” and “Everybody involved, clinically and surgically, wants to get it right.” Those remarks describe the importance of participant selection; they are not a detailed clinical rationale for this decision. Futurism reported that Neuralink had not commented on the cancellation at the time.
Was ALS the reason for the cancellation?
The report does not establish that ALS itself led to the cancellation. It says the candidate had ALS and separately refers to additional medical issues that made the person unsuitable for the trial. Because those issues were not disclosed, a more specific explanation cannot be confirmed.
Did Neuralink later implant a second participant?
Yes. In an August 21, 2024 update, Neuralink said its second PRIME Study participant had received an implant in July 2024. The update confirms that a second participant was implanted, but does not identify that person as the candidate in the July cancellation report. Lawton’s reported expectation that a replacement might undergo surgery the following month was an expectation at the time, not confirmation of a scheduled operation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Neuralink later said about the trial
In its later “Two Years of Telepathy” update, Neuralink described trial surgeries across 2024 and 2025 and said it was investigating implant and surgical changes after electrode-thread retraction issues. The company also reported zero serious device-related adverse events as of that update. That is Neuralink’s own safety statement, not an independent assessment.
Quick Recap
What remains unknown
- The candidate’s specific additional medical issues have not been disclosed in the cited reporting.
- The available updates do not establish whether the person who received the July 2024 implant was the candidate whose planned surgery was canceled.
- The cited sources do not provide the candidate’s detailed medical history or the trial’s complete clinical selection criteria.
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