Audrey Crews, a woman living with paralysis, has become the first female recipient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip, and her early results are nothing short of groundbreaking.
In a series of emotional and informative social media posts, Crews opened up about her experience with the experimental brain-computer interface (BCI) and how it’s already transforming her ability to interact with the world.
“I had surgery last week and everything is going amazing,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It was brain surgery—they drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex. The chip is about the size of a quarter.”
I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. Im working on it. Lol #Neuralink pic.twitter.com/xzPBam5mAS
— Audrey Crews (@NeuraNova9) July 26, 2025
The historic procedure was performed at the University of Miami Health Center, where Crews praised the medical staff for their compassionate care. She added, “They treated me like a VIP and are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.”
The implant allows Crews to use her thoughts to control a computer interface, a milestone achievement in the emerging field of brain-computer technology.
In one post, she described the process in simple but astonishing terms: “The BCI lets me control my computer using my mind. I’ll be able to control more electronic devices in the near future.”
She also made it clear that the Neuralink chip is not a cure for paralysis. “I also want to clarify this implant will not allow me to walk again or regain movement. It’s strictly for telepathy only,” Crews noted.
Here are some more of my doodles! Im taking request. Lol Imagine your pointer finger is left click and the cursor moment is with your wrist. With out physically doing it. Just a normal day using telepathy. pic.twitter.com/MDzIp1Z9jv
— Audrey Crews (@NeuraNova9) July 28, 2025
Still, the possibilities are already expanding. She shared a set of digital “doodles” drawn entirely using her mind. “Imagine your pointer finger is left click and the cursor movement is with your wrist—without physically doing it,” she explained. “Just a normal day using telepathy.”
By undergoing the procedure, Crews became the first woman in the world to receive a Neuralink brain chip.
While others have previously been part of Neuralink’s clinical trials, including the first male recipient, Noland Arbaugh, who also demonstrated impressive results earlier this year, Crews’ participation signals broader inclusion in the trial phase and a wider test of the device’s potential across diverse users.
Neuralink, a company co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, aims to build a symbiotic link between the human brain and machines. The startup received FDA approval in 2023 to begin human testing of its wireless brain chip, dubbed “Telepathy.”
According to Neuralink, the device reads neural signals and translates them into actions, such as moving a cursor on a screen or typing on a keyboard.
So far, Neuralink has been cautious in its rollout. The company’s first trial subject, Arbaugh, lost control of the cursor months after implantation due to a mechanical issue involving retracted threads.
Engineers quickly adjusted the device’s signal processing algorithms, restoring functionality and reinforcing the need for long-term durability testing.
Despite the challenges, Neuralink continues to move forward with clinical trials and anticipates wider applications, from controlling prosthetic limbs to assisting individuals with spinal cord injuries or ALS.
Crews’ early success story offers hope and tangible proof of what brain-computer interfaces might deliver in the years to come. “We are still in Miami,” she added in a recent update, “but I’ll be home soon and we’ll post more vids explaining the process in more detail.”
