Elon Musk’s Neuralink Helps ALS Patient Tell His Wife “I Love You” Again, Make Phone Calls, and Reconnect With Family

According to Neuralink study videos, clinical trial records, and research presented at the October 2026 Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) meeting, researchers have documented advances in helping people with ALS communicate. The work includes Terry Mandable, a participant with bulbar-onset ALS at UT Southwestern Medical Center, along with fellow trial participants Kenneth and Brad.

The technology uses Neuralink’s coin-sized N1 brain implant to detect electrical signals associated with attempted speech. Although ALS can severely weaken or paralyze the muscles needed to talk, the brain may still generate signals reflecting what a person wants to say. An AI system interprets these signals and converts them into speech, reportedly reaching speeds of up to 75 words per minute. Voice-cloning technology can also recreate a participant’s original voice using recordings made before ALS affected their speech.

The technology offers a promising path toward restoring communication for people who have lost the ability to speak.