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Brain-Machine-Interface technology is only in its infancy, but scientists believe it may one day allow the severely disabled to perform everyday tasks using brain signals to power artificial limbs.
But some US tech companies have more ambitious interests. They envision a future where BMI will allow them to read people’s thoughts; and where humans will use mind power to interact with their digital devices.
It’s an exciting field, but one fraught with ethical concerns.
Guests
Nathan Copeland – BMI recipient
Assistant Professor Jennifer Collinger – Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh
Dr Nicole Vincent – Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, University of Technology Sydney
Future Tense
Having hundreds of needles injected into your brain may sound more like a torture than a treatment. But the process is already allowing some patients with severe paralysis to control a robotic arm by thought alone.
Former US president Barack Obama, centre, speaks with neuro interface patient Nathan Copeland at the University of Pittsburg in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in October, 2016.
Photo: AFP
Brain-machine interface technology (BMI) is a field of science that s small and relatively new, but it has Silicon Valley brimming with excitement.
Big tech is investing millions in the sector with the hope of creating a future where thought-controlled technology is everywhere, one where typing and texting are no longer necessary.
The potential of Brain-Machine Interface technology has Silicon Valley excited, and ethicists worried
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MarMarch 2021 at 1:31am
Experimentation in the field of brain-machine interfaces has so far been small scale, but big players are involved.
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Having hundreds of needles injected into your brain may sound more like a torture than a treatment.
But the process is already allowing some patients with severe paralysis to control a robotic arm by thought alone.
Brain-Machine Interface technology (BMI) is a field of science that s small and relatively new, but it has Silicon Valley brimming with excitement.