Are you sure that the world you are experiencing is real? Philosopher Hilary Putnam poses this question with her 'brain in a vat' thought experiment. Imagine that scientists detach your brain from your body, place it in a vat full of nutrients, and let you experience a virtual reality through a complex computer system. You will live believing that this virtual reality is real.
The concept of 'creating all external stimuli into computers and injecting them into the brain, making the brain feel only virtual environments', which was said as a joke, is familiar to us through the Matrix and mass media, but it was only accepted as science fiction. But did you know that BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) actually exists?
This thought experiment is not just a philosophical fantasy. Today, advances in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology are making this fantasy a reality. Of course, we don’t have to separate our brains from our bodies. Instead, BCI technology directly connects our brains to computers, allowing us to interact with the digital world using only our thoughts.
Imagine, what if you could control your smartphone, control home appliances, and even regain movement in your paralyzed body with just your thoughts? This is no longer a scene from a science fiction movie. BCI technology is making this imagination a reality.
This is a topic we've briefly touched on before, but Nolan Arbor, a former quadriplegic who underwent this surgery, is now able to enjoy Civilization 6 on his computer and do a variety of tasks through messaging and computers.
This weekend, I saw an 8-hour long episode on Lex Friedman's podcast, which I've been following, and when I checked it out, it turned out to be a podcast that filled up 8 hours like a rice bowl with appearances from the CEOs of euralink, SpaceX, Tesla, xAI, Elon Musk, the CTO of X, Dongjin Seo, the COO of Neuralink, and Nolan Arbor, an engineer and doctor at Neuralink.
BCI: Direct communication between brain and machine
BCI is a revolutionary technology that creates a direct communication path between the human brain and external devices. The core of this technology is to directly read and interpret the brain's neural signals and control computers or other electronic devices through them. BCI technology, born from the convergence of neuroscience and computer engineering, is breaking down the barriers between humans and machines and fundamentally changing the way we interact with the world.
The BCI Journey: From Monkey Experiments to Human Clinical Trials
The history of BCI technology dates back to the 1960s. It started with experiments that recorded brain activity in monkeys and controlled simple actions based on it. Over the decades of research and development, signal interpretation technology has become more sophisticated and its accuracy has improved.
BCI technology is currently receiving a lot of attention in the medical field. It offers new hope to patients who have lost physical functions due to spinal cord injury or neurological diseases. By restoring movement of paralyzed limbs or allowing them to control computers with just their thoughts, BCI is bringing about a revolutionary change in their lives.
One of the companies at the forefront of BCI technology is Neuralink, co-founded by Elon Musk. Neuralink has developed a brain implant with 1,024 tiny electrodes that can precisely record and analyze neural activity in the brain, allowing users to control external devices with just their thoughts.
In January 2024, Neuralink began its first human clinical trial. The first participant was Nolan Arbor, a quadriplegic, who received the implant. Amazingly, Nolan was able to control a computer cursor with his mind, and even set a world record in a game called Web Grid. This was a significant case that showed the real-world applicability of BCI technology, and it gave hope to many.
BCI technology is still in its early stages, but its potential is limitless. It has many applications in medicine and everyday life. In medicine, it could revolutionize the treatment of neurological diseases and the recovery of motor functions. It could open new avenues for treating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and help paralyzed patients walk or move their hands again. Even in everyday life, BCI technology can bring about big changes. It can enhance cognitive abilities, allowing us to learn faster and solve complex problems more effectively. It can also be combined with virtual reality (VR) to provide more realistic gaming and educational environments that can be controlled by thought alone.
Challenges of BCI Technology
There are still several important challenges remaining before BCI technology can fully become part of our everyday lives.
Signal stability: It is important to obtain continuous and stable neural signals.
Long-term safety: Thorough studies are needed on the biocompatibility and immune responses of brain implants.
Brain Complexity: We need to better understand the complex mechanisms of the human brain.
Solving these challenges requires ongoing research and development, as well as collaboration among experts from various fields.
This is an area where I think a better approach is needed rather than looking at it too negatively. BCI technology has the potential to fundamentally change human life and society beyond simple technological innovation. Accordingly, we need to think about some important questions.
Emerging Ethical Considerations
Naturally, it is somewhat creepy if you think about it like the brain in a vat mentioned earlier. Even just thinking about it now raises concerns about the following problems.
As BCI technology advances, how can we protect the privacy of individuals’ thoughts and actions?
If expensive BCI technology is only accessible to a privileged few, wouldn’t this create new forms of social inequality?
How would the definition of 'human' change if direct connection with machines became possible? How would our identity and sense of self change?
What happens if a BCI device is hacked? How should a security system be built to prevent this?
The Future of Education and Learning: If BCI Technology Can Enhance Learning Capabilities, How Should Our Education System Change?
I believe that the process of finding answers to these questions will help us to deeply understand and prepare for the impact of BCI technology on our society. I would like to recommend this content to many people as it enriches this weekend, but since it is 8 hours long, I will share the link below.
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