The Pace of Technological Evolution: Brain Computer Interfaces

As the pace of technological evolution gets faster and faster, it's starting to feel like a bottleneck that could be why everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk to the Department of Defense is investing in brain computer interfaces that allow humans to control and communicate with machines using only our minds. These brain computer interfaces, also known as BCIs, have been researched since the 1970s and can be divided into three basic categories: invasive, partially invasive, and non-invasive.

Invasive BCIs are surgically embedded into the subject's brain, allowing for stronger and clearer communication of brain signals. One example of a partially invasive BCI uses surgically implanted electrodes to allow the subject to feel sensations experienced by a robot hand as if it were their own hand being touched blindfolded. The subject was able to identify which fingers were being touched on the robotic hand with nearly 100% accuracy. However, brain surgeries are risky and expensive, which is why many people in the scientific community are pushing for further development of non-invasive BCIs.

DARPA, an agency under the US Department of Defense, has been interested in BCI technology since its infancy decades later, and it's still investing in it. Its latest challenge to the scientific community is a wearable BCI for service members that would allow them to control drones, cyber defense systems, and more. Researchers from the University of Florida have already proven that a wearable brain computer interface can control a drone's movements, making a more complex system like what DARPA is envisioning closer to reality than previously thought.

Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are also developing their own brain computer interfaces for a few years now. They seem to have very different goals in mind. Zuckerberg and his team envision a shower cap-like device that could function as a brain mouse, allowing users to navigate augmented reality apps. This sounds similar to mi t--'s wearable BCI alter-ego, which can understand unspoken words and commands to navigate menus and provide audio feedback to the wearer via bone conduction.

Elon Musk's BCI project is called Neuralink, founded in 2016. Details on Neuralink are hard to come by, but Musk has said his main reason for pursuing BCI technology is to create a symbiotic relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. He hopes that by getting humans and AI "on the same side," we can avoid the dangers of AI vastly overwhelming our own capabilities and abilities.

Musk believes that the danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads. BCIs and our ability to make use of them are only going to get better, according to Musk. Recently, a study was released demonstrating two new improvements in BCI technology. The study participants were tasked with mentally chasing and moving targets around the screen in the experiments. Researchers were testing a new BCI platform that could more accurately interpret fuzzy brain signals as well as a new way of training people to use BCIs.

It turns out that learning through continuous pursuit tasks, such as chasing a dot around the screen, is a far more effective way to train people on a BCI compared to training that focuses on completion of one specific task. The new technology and new training method increased performance by 500%, and when researchers swapped out the cursor for a robot arm, the transition was seamless. BCIs are coming, and this could mean many things, including controlling mech suits and other robotic exoskeletons.

We could also someday send messages to other people without saying a word if we're able to combine BCIs with virtual or augmented reality. If we can eventually dream things into a digital existence using these technologies, it's a whole new frontier of possibilities. However, this technology also poses a significant risk: merging our brains with computers.

The question begs itself: what would a hacker be able to accomplish with a brain computer interface? Do we trust Mark Zuckerberg, the guy with everyone's facing data, to also have access to our thoughts? Lastly, if augmentation via BCI makes people stronger, smarter, and faster, who will have access to that technology? Will it be a privilege for only those who can afford it, potentially exacerbating the gap between the haves and the have-nots?

Ultimately, these are questions without answers. If you've got ideas about the future of brain computer interfaces, share them in the comments below. For more fun videos from seen it, click here. And thank you for watching what the future is. I'm your host, Jess Ural, see you next time!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enas the pace of technological evolution gets faster and faster the ways we input information into our machines is starting to feel like a bit of a bottleneck that could be why everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk to the Department of Defense is investing in brain computer interfaces that allow humans to control and communicate with machines using only our minds brain computer interfaces or BC eyes for short started to be researched in the 1970s and can be divided into three basic categories invasive BCI's are surgically embedded into the subjects brain partially invasive BCI's are surgically embedded outside the brain and non-invasive BCI's don't require surgery at all one of the benefits of invasive and partially invasive BCI's is that they allow for stronger and clearer communication of brain signals in this example a partially invasive BCI uses surgically implanted electrodes to allow the subject to feel sensations experienced by a robot hand as if it were his own hand being touched blindfolded the subject was able to identify which fingers were being touched on the robotic hand with nearly 100% accuracy however brain surgeries are risky and expensive which is why many people in the scientific community are pushing for further development of non-invasive BC is DARPA an agency under the US Department of Defense has been interested in BCI technology since its infancy decades later DARPA is still investing in it its latest challenge to the scientific community is a wearable BCI for service members that would allow them to control drones cyber defense systems and more researchers from the University of Florida have already proven that a wearable brain computer interface can control a drones movements so a more complex system like what DARPA is envisioning might be closer to reality than you think if soldiers controlling drone swarms with their mind is too far out for you consider a simpler application of this technology Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have both been developing their own brain computer interfaces for a few years now and they seem to have very different goals in mind Zuckerberg and his team envision a shower cap like device that could function as a brain mouse to let users navigate augmented reality apps sounds a bit like mi t--'s wearable BCI alter-ego which can understand unspoken words and commands to navigate menus and can give audio feedback to the wearer via bone conduction Elon Musk's BCI project is called neural link founded in 2016 details on neural link are hard to come by musk has said his main reason for pursuing BCI technology is to create a symbiotic relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence perhaps in the hope that we lowly humans can get on the ai's good side before it vastly overwhelms our own capabilities and we can no longer contain its growth I think a danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads by a lot BCI's and our ability to make use of them are only going to get better days ago a study was released that demonstrated two new improvements in BCI technology the study participants were tasked with mentally chasing and moving target around the screen in the experiments researchers were testing a new BCI platform that could more accurately interpret fuzzy brain signals as well as a new way of training people to use BC is as it turns out learning through a continuous pursuit tasks such as chasing the dot around the screen is a far more effective way to train people on a BCI compared to training that focuses on completion of one specific task together the new technology and new training method increased performance by 500% and when researchers swapped out the cursor for a robot arm the transition was seamless so BCI's are coming what could that mean well it's easy to imagine a future where we could use BCI's to control mech suits and other robotic exoskeletons we could also someday send messages to other people without saying a word and if we're able to combine BCI's with virtual or augmented reality we could eventually be able to dream things into a digital existence but this technology also poses a significant risk merging our brains with computers begs the question what would a hacker be able to accomplish with a brain computer interface do we trust Mark Zuckerberg the guy with everyone's facing data to also have access to our thoughts and lastly if augmentation via BCI makes people stronger smarter and faster who will have access to that technology will it be a privilege for only those who can afford it and if so will it further exacerbate the gap between the haves and the have-nots I don't have the answers to any of these questions but if you've got some ideas about the future of brain computer interfaces let us know your predictions down in the comments for last week's video on the future of manned spaceflight click here and for more fun videos from seen it click right down here thanks so much for watching what the future I'm your host Jess ural see you next timeas the pace of technological evolution gets faster and faster the ways we input information into our machines is starting to feel like a bit of a bottleneck that could be why everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk to the Department of Defense is investing in brain computer interfaces that allow humans to control and communicate with machines using only our minds brain computer interfaces or BC eyes for short started to be researched in the 1970s and can be divided into three basic categories invasive BCI's are surgically embedded into the subjects brain partially invasive BCI's are surgically embedded outside the brain and non-invasive BCI's don't require surgery at all one of the benefits of invasive and partially invasive BCI's is that they allow for stronger and clearer communication of brain signals in this example a partially invasive BCI uses surgically implanted electrodes to allow the subject to feel sensations experienced by a robot hand as if it were his own hand being touched blindfolded the subject was able to identify which fingers were being touched on the robotic hand with nearly 100% accuracy however brain surgeries are risky and expensive which is why many people in the scientific community are pushing for further development of non-invasive BC is DARPA an agency under the US Department of Defense has been interested in BCI technology since its infancy decades later DARPA is still investing in it its latest challenge to the scientific community is a wearable BCI for service members that would allow them to control drones cyber defense systems and more researchers from the University of Florida have already proven that a wearable brain computer interface can control a drones movements so a more complex system like what DARPA is envisioning might be closer to reality than you think if soldiers controlling drone swarms with their mind is too far out for you consider a simpler application of this technology Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have both been developing their own brain computer interfaces for a few years now and they seem to have very different goals in mind Zuckerberg and his team envision a shower cap like device that could function as a brain mouse to let users navigate augmented reality apps sounds a bit like mi t--'s wearable BCI alter-ego which can understand unspoken words and commands to navigate menus and can give audio feedback to the wearer via bone conduction Elon Musk's BCI project is called neural link founded in 2016 details on neural link are hard to come by musk has said his main reason for pursuing BCI technology is to create a symbiotic relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence perhaps in the hope that we lowly humans can get on the ai's good side before it vastly overwhelms our own capabilities and we can no longer contain its growth I think a danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads by a lot BCI's and our ability to make use of them are only going to get better days ago a study was released that demonstrated two new improvements in BCI technology the study participants were tasked with mentally chasing and moving target around the screen in the experiments researchers were testing a new BCI platform that could more accurately interpret fuzzy brain signals as well as a new way of training people to use BC is as it turns out learning through a continuous pursuit tasks such as chasing the dot around the screen is a far more effective way to train people on a BCI compared to training that focuses on completion of one specific task together the new technology and new training method increased performance by 500% and when researchers swapped out the cursor for a robot arm the transition was seamless so BCI's are coming what could that mean well it's easy to imagine a future where we could use BCI's to control mech suits and other robotic exoskeletons we could also someday send messages to other people without saying a word and if we're able to combine BCI's with virtual or augmented reality we could eventually be able to dream things into a digital existence but this technology also poses a significant risk merging our brains with computers begs the question what would a hacker be able to accomplish with a brain computer interface do we trust Mark Zuckerberg the guy with everyone's facing data to also have access to our thoughts and lastly if augmentation via BCI makes people stronger smarter and faster who will have access to that technology will it be a privilege for only those who can afford it and if so will it further exacerbate the gap between the haves and the have-nots I don't have the answers to any of these questions but if you've got some ideas about the future of brain computer interfaces let us know your predictions down in the comments for last week's video on the future of manned spaceflight click here and for more fun videos from seen it click right down here thanks so much for watching what the future I'm your host Jess ural see you next time\n"