Paralysed US man regains movement and sensation after miraculous 'AI-infused' surgery

Thomas had suffered a broken neck and damaged portions of his spine while diving into a friend’s pool in Montauk, in 2020. (Image: Northwell Health)

Since Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have taken the world by storm, people just cannot speak talking about it. Some people are deeming it as a boon and are encouraging this huge advancement in technology. Others are considering AI as a bane and a threat to their jobs.

However, AI turned out to be a boon for this man from Long Island, US. He was paralysed after a diving accident but regained motion and feeling in his body after a surgery that “connected his brain to a computer” through microelectrode implants.

According to the New York Post, Keith Thomas, 45, is a “pioneer” case for AI-infused surgeries to treat or cure diseases like blindness, deafness, ALS, seizures, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s, experts at Manhasset’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research said.

“This is the first time a paralysed person is regaining movement and sensation by having their brain, body and spinal cord electronically linked together,” Chad Bouton, a professor at Feinstein’s Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, told The Post.

“We could continue to help millions of folks around the world and maybe with an even broader range of conditions.”

Thomas had suffered a broken neck and damaged portions of his spine while diving into a friend’s pool in Montauk, in 2020. He was told that he will never be able to move below his neck. However, he didn’t lose hope. “I’m a true New Yorker and wanted everything [fixed] right away,” he told the Post.

Thomas’s determination and his love for his life made him an apt candidate for the surgery, Dr Ashesh Mehta director of the Institute’s Laboratory of Human Brain Mapping, told The Post.

“There was something special about Keith. We knew that he had the strength, the right attitude, the perseverance to do what’s required.”

Thomas went through a 15-hour surgery and he was awake during some of it to communicate with the doctors, as per New York Post.

“The surgery had to go perfectly. There was no room for error. There’s only one way to get it right and a million ways to screw it up,” Mehta added. Thomas was able to hold his sister’s hand, post the surgery and one-week recovery, since his accident.

“It’s quite a long road to get to this point,” Thomas said, adding that he can now move his right arm to his face and the next goal is to brush his own teeth. “I was crying like crazy.”