The tech entrepreneur Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is about to launch a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) company, competing with Neuralink, which is a BCI technology company founded by Elon Musk. To know what this war is about, first, we need to know what the BCI technology is; its pros and cons.
Imagine sitting on a couch, thinking of doing something, and then it is already done without even making a single move. BCI technology analyzes neural activities and translates them into actions through an external device, such as a computer. The evolution of BCI dates back to the 1924, when Hans Berger, a German psychiatrist, invented electroencephalography (EEG)—a method for recording the brain’s electrical activity. This pioneering invention established the foundation of monitoring brain activity. The term Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) was first coined in 1973 by the computer scientist Jacques Vidal.
The BCI system is composed of four steps:
- Signal Acquisition: The brain signals are measured and recorded using sensors, which can be non-invasive, like electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain signals using electrodes on the scalp, or invasive, like electrocorticography (ECoG), by placing electrodes on the surface of the brain or by implanting them inside certain areas in the brain.
- Feature Extraction: The system starts to analyze the signals to extract the features and decipher the user’s intended action.
- Feature Translation: The system translates those features to commands for the external device, such as a computer.
- Device Output: Those translated commands operate in the output device, such as moving a cursor.
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Adopted from IEEE Rev Biomed Eng vol. 2, 2009 2
BCI Advantages
BCI can be used to restore motor functions in individuals with disabilities, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy, brainstem stroke, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophies, paralysis, or chronic peripheral neuropathies. It can help in communication for non-verbal individuals through mind writing.
Led by Elon Musk, Neuralink is developing a sophisticated neurotechnology centered on a surgical implant containing thousands of microscopic electrode wires that carefully extend into the brain. The company's primary objective is to enable individuals with quadriplegia to interact with and control external devices using only their thoughts. In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Neuralink’s first human clinical trial, and by May 2025, three total participants had been implanted with the device.
BCI Disadvantages
Although BCI can improve the quality of life of patients with disabilities, it also raises critical threats. At the center is the fear that BCIs could interfere with a person's fundamental sense of self and control. Can a BCI be misused? Or can it override a person's free will, inaccurately translating their intentions, or even causing unwanted changes to their personality?
The very definition of being human becomes ambiguous when technology is so intimately connected to the brain. The thought of a BCI being used for unauthorized access (brain hacking) or as a tool in coercive interrogation methods raises deep concerns. Those ethical considerations regarding BCI usage, including patients’ safety, misuse possibilities, and long-term usage side effects, are still burdens for societal acceptance of BCI.
Although it is a powerful, transformative invention, critical threats cannot be neglected. Do you think the future of BCI development could align with societal needs, be accountable, and protect the essential freedoms of the human mind?
References
clinicalkey.com
doi.org/10.1109/RBME.2009.2035356
neuralink.com
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