Alex Conley, Neuralink's second patient, learned not only to pilot a drone using the power of thought, but also to program controllers that integrate the brain implant with external devices.
Alex Conley, Neuralink's second patient, learned not only to pilot a drone using the power of thought, but also to program controllers that integrate the brain implant with external devices.
In early August 2024, Elon Musk's company announced that it had implanted the implant in a second patient, Alex Conley, who lost control of his limbs after a spinal cord injury. At the end of the same month, the man was able to play Counter-Strike 2 with the chip.
A demonstration video posted on October 9, 2025, on Alex's X account shows that his capabilities have gone beyond basic cursor control.
I used the Neuralink to write code for an Arduino to allow me to control an RC airplane with a quad stick. The possibilities are truly endless. Thank you Elon and the entire team at Neuralink. I am honored to be part of such a great program. @neuralink pic.twitter.com/VLnNi7n6Ex
— Alex Conley (@Bcidesign) November 9, 2025
Alex used his brain implant to write Arduino code and then used that code to fly a drone—all done through direct control of brain signals.
“I used Neuralink to write code for Arduino. This allowed me to fly a radio-controlled plane using a quadcopter. The possibilities are truly endless,” the man’s post says.
Alex's thoughts activated the interface, generating functional code and executing commands in real time.
This experiment demonstrates how brain-computer interfaces can transform creativity, coding, and even flight—all with the power of thought.
