Currently, the nervous system can't directly control a complex electromechanical device. Neuralink promises to bridge the gap between man and machine with a revolutionary concept. However its target is the brain.

Neuralink has the potential to revolutionize prosthetics arms and legs too!

It's a smarter strategy to gain acceptance of Neuralink by first making it for the peripheral nerves (the limbs) as a stepping stone to cortical implants (the brain).  Just like how the SpaceX unmanned Dragon had to come before the Crew Dragon, to prove its safety.  Or, just like how the Tesla Roadster had to come before the Model S, to prove electric cars can be fast.

Just imagine Elon Musk presenting a wounded warrior who has a Neuralink bionic arm.  Neuralink would go to national hero level!  And there are so many amputees in this world who can benefit.

There are a lot of grants and funding for veterans with limb loss. Neuralink would disrupt an existing market worth billions, and that could fund the creation of a new market for cortical implants. In 2019, the VA spent $3.8 billion on prosthetic users.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2019-APP/pdf/BUDGET-2019-APP-1-20.pdf