The video has been shared by Elon Musk-owned Neuralink describing the man as a voluntary clinical trial participant. The man’s partner, standing next to him, is seen excited and pleasantly surprised when the chip interpreted man’s thoughts and used artificial intelligence (AI) to speak them out loud in a synthetic voice.
A heartfelt moment where a speech-impaired man speaking “I love you” to his partner using a brain chip is receiving a lot of love and affection on social media.
Musk reshared Neuralink’s video using the man’s words as caption. These three words are a big leap for the company that demonstrated a similar experiment with a participant named Kenneth in March this year. The unidentified man’s practical use of the brain implant showcases the applications of the technology that is being debated around the world. Though researchers have been working on the brain-computer interface for decades, the technology is still at a nascent stage and the number of people who have received implants is only in the hundreds. The technology is meant to help people with paralysis, blindness, hearing loss and more regain functions. At its core, the interface connects the brain directly to the electronic device, thereby bypassing the rest of the body. The device translates electrical signals generated by the brain into commands that control machines. The first patient Neuralink demonstrated played video games, browsed the internet and moved a cursor on a laptop. It’s been more than two years since Neuralink began testing on humans.
Earlier this year, the Musk-led company had said that it has 21 participants enrolled in trials worldwide.
The company said it is working closely with regulatory bodies and hospital sites to deliver improved devices to participants and maintain its current record of zero serious device-related adverse events.
