Philip O'Keefe, an Australian who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), composed and posted a tweet using only his mind via a brain-computer interface developed by neurotech startup Synchron. "Hello, world!" O'Keefe tweeted via Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley's account on December 22:
hello, world! Short tweet. Monumental progress.
— Thomas Oxley (@tomoxl) December 23, 2021
O'Keefe was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neurone Disease, in 2015 and successfully turned his direct thought to text using the Stentrode brain-computer interface (BCI) on December 23. The device was first implanted in O'Keefe's brain in April 2020 after his condition deteriorated and he was unable to engage in many independent activities. It was inserted through his jugular vein. Since its implantation, it has allowed him to communicate with his colleagues and loved ones via email. He can also play simple computer games such as solitaire.