Reading minds is not as far fetched as it seemed to be in the past. With much research and technology, verbalizing a person’s thought process appears possible.
Introduction
Brain reading is a process in which there is indulgence in neural responses evoked by the brain through stimulus followed by a detection through fMRI to decode the original stimulus. This was proposed by neuroscientist Marcel Just and his colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University. Through artificial intelligence technology, they analyzed complex brain activities and deciphered the patterns in equivalence to the brain functioning. This involves construing the way one thinks of a number or an object, reads a sentence, or expresses an emotion in parallel with addition of their futuristic approach to a particular thought. Suicidal tendencies are very common due to emotional disturbances and the tendency to conceal this even from loved ones. This process enables one to detect if the person is having a thought of suicide by just analyzing his brain’s response to words like happiness or death. This could even prove as a life saving method.
Sir Elon Musk’s Recent Discovery
After much research and human trials, the owner of the Tesla, Elon Musk, recently came up with the discovery of a surgically implantable device called Neurolink chip that can read the user’s brain using brain wave technology and decoding speech waves. This will promote easy communication between human brain and machine which might prove to be a boon to cure many medical problems.
Fig: Neurolink
The chipset will be installed in the skull with it’s surgical placement through the artificial intelligence technology. It is said to have thickness in parallels to the brain neurons and thinness as the hair strand with the facility of multiple devices to be fitted in different sections of the brain. Partial anaesthesia might be given during the process.As for how it’s working, is taken into account it’ll be analogous to our brain working action.Our brain sends information to different parts of the body through the neuronal network called neurotransmitters, generating electric fields. The actions are then recorded with placement of electrodes translating them into algorithms in accordance with the understanding for the machines. In this manner Neuralink will be able to read our minds and find a way for communication between humans and machines.
Fig: Elon Musk’s surgical robot for implantation of Neurolink
Neurolink needs quick and precise insertions into the brain cortex, therefore keeping safety measures in mind a surgical robot is designed for this purpose. This robot will ensure perfect insertion of the module into the brain which isn’t visible to the naked eye. The robot is designed in such a manner which will not only ensure quickness,preciseness and perfection but also insertion without contact with any arteries or veins thus avoiding any complications or side effects. This will then be completed by covering the exposed part of the skull with the chipset module.
At the start of it’s usage, it’ll be beneficial for the paraplegic and epileptic patients with operational and interactive sessions with the machines. In others with loss of optic nerve control, a help to bring back their eyesight could be made possible. In paralytic patients restoration of memory, speech and motility could be ensured. If this project proceeds a new technology could come into being where along with human to machine interaction may be possible similarly human to human interaction could also be possible without actually communicating.
Conclusion
It might prove as a blessing or curse will be perceived in the mere future. On one hand where it can be proved as a boon for improving health conditions similarly on the other hand it might be harmful as one’s private thoughts might be captured and misused by the companies acquainted with this technology,thus violating their neurorights. The technology is almost on the verge of becoming a reality,hence one needs to now figure out how to keep up with the ethical morals and standards. Soon this will no longer be imagining design fiction.
Pratiksha Baliga, Youth Medical Journal 2022
References
[1]Fields, R. D. (2020, March 10). Mind reading and mind control technologies are coming. Scientific American Blog Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/mind-reading-and-mind-control-technologies-are-coming/.
[2]John, C. (2020, July 24). Neuralink explained: How we will talk to machines using our brain. TheQuint. https://www.thequint.com/explainers/what-is-neuralink-and-how-does-it-work-explained.
[3]Ethrington, D. (2020). Elon Musk Neurolink. Google image result for https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/the-prototype-robot-being-tested-in-the-lab.jpg. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://images.app.goo.gl/fggzFMLz59ZZzxDr6
[4]Archyde, A. (2020, August 29). Neuralink presents its first functional device to read nervous system activity. Archyde. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.archyde.com/neuralink-presents-its-first-functional-device-to-read-nervous-system-activity/
Youth Medical Journal 
