A man with ALS became the first person to control an Amazon Alexa with his thoughts via an implanted brain-computer interface.

A New York-based neurotech startup, Synchron, successfully implanted its brain-computer interface into a blood vessel on the brain of the man with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing.”