Neuralink patient learns to play World of Warcraft with the power of thought - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, the future

# Neuralink patient learned to play World of Warcraft by thought

The head of Neuralink, Elon Musk, announced that its BCI device is capable of restoring speech to people who have lost it. It converts brain activity into words.

Neuralink is restoring speech to those who have lost the ability to speak https://t.co/DySKSyV6yw

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2026

The entrepreneur commented on the company’s own publication, which shared a video demonstrating the update. In it, ALS patient Kenneth Shock was able to communicate again using the implant.

Neuralink’s software decodes phonemes (the smallest unit of meaning in language), combines them into words, and reproduces them with the patient’s original voice.

“The disease gradually took away Kenneth’s ability to speak. As part of Neuralink’s VOICE clinical trial, we are studying how the brain-computer interface, designed to convert thoughts into speech, can help him regain independence in daily life,” Neuralink’s message stated.

The system reads neural activity related to speech, translates it into text, and then vocalizes it through a computer. The process takes some time, but the company aims for real-time translation. This will make the communication process natural.

Musk emphasized that the technology is already working in real-world conditions and is a step toward enabling people to speak literally by thought alone.

Neuralink’s technology is gradually evolving; however, the company faces challenges, including regulatory approval, long-term safety, and the privacy of neural data. We are still far from the mass adoption of BCI solutions.

Neuralink patient plays Warcraft

Another Neuralink patient, British paratrooper veteran Jon L. Noble, shared his achievements since receiving the N1 chip implant 100 days ago.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 100 days since I received my Neuralink N1 implant. Looking back, the whole journey feels like science fiction that somehow became my everyday reality.

The surgery on Day 0 was surprisingly easy. A quick general anaesthetic, a small… pic.twitter.com/jmqA428RuV

— Jon L. Noble🇬🇧 (@CheckCanopy) March 22, 2026

The operation went smoothly. There was a short general anesthesia, a small incision, and then a robotic system precisely placed 1,024 ultra-thin threads in the motor cortex. Noble woke up feeling alert and in a good mood.

In the second week, the implant was connected to a new MacBook. Neuralink engineers performed calibration, and just a couple of minutes later, the patient was moving the cursor by thought.

“At first, it felt like trying to remember a dream, but by the third week, it became natural. Scrolling, clicks, typing—all controlled by thought,” Noble noted.

By day 80, he launched World of Warcraft and was able to play by thought.

“The first raid was a bit clumsy, but once the brain and BCI synced up, it became real magic. Now I go on raids and explore ‘Azeroth’ hands-free, at full speed, without a mouse or keyboard, just by intent. It’s truly impressive. The feeling of freedom is captivating,” the patient reported.

Noble received thousands of supportive messages and questions about the technology and its future.

Recall that in April 2025, a woman paralyzed after a stroke regained her speech after 18 years of silence thanks to an experimental BCI and artificial intelligence.