Brain-machine interfaces implanted in the participants of this study in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) were successfully able to decode both internally spoken and vocalized words.
This is terrifying, and very dangerous. If this gets developed, what will happen to queer people in conservative areas? People who are in the closet for fear of losing housing? Even despite that, this is would be used in some places to make thoughts illegal, like in North Korea or China, it’s basically illegal to speak ill of the government, imagine how that would be with this technology.
So you’re worried about governments forcing brain surgery on people, and think this one particular technology is going to be the big issue if that happens?
I think at that point ‘reading minds’ is no longer the major concern. Like the old statement about apocryphal airport security measures after 9/11 - “if you can take over the plane with fingernail clippers, then you don’t need the clippers”.
(clippers were never actually banned on planes in the USA, but for a short while the metal files on them were and that caused confusion)
This tech seems like a huge waste of money when if they are That authoritarian they could just shove an ice pick up the dissident’s eye socket or simply have them jump out a window with bullet holes in their back. Why bother with actually gathering evidence - if you’re willing to forcefully open their skull, then clearly it’s already beyond that point.
I suppose it could be used to find accomplices and crack passwords and stuff, but still seems like a very roundabout way of going about it and likely can be easily defeated by just thinking “LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU” in a loop. Or thinking of an earworm song. Or thinking of false statements.
Who said surgery they’ll read your thoughts as you pass through a doorway or from the street outside, or as you wait in the DMV, shop at the store, use your phone.
The article said surgery. Also common sense, they are reading individual neurons. Not feasible from outside.
Best we have is FMRI, and it is an amazing technology, but it absolutely can’t do that and never will because of how it works. And besides, it doesn’t fit in a doorway either, and would also be incredibly obvious: loud, super magnetic - requiring all metal to be removed for a long distance, requiring the target to sit for a long time and follow instructions, etc.
Surgery is absolutely the only way this is possible.
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Better get your tinfoil hat then. What @davidgro says is right, your fantasy ideas are just that. Sure, in coming centuries this tech might be possible to be miniaturised and read externally, but for now that’s not even close to possible.
On the one hand, this could be devastating for privacy purposes.
On the other hand, this could be groundbreaking and life-changing technology for people incapable of speech!
It’s kind of a “this is why we can’t have nice things” situation… except the other way around. The potential for abuse is probably WHY this technology will get funded…lol
NO. Just no. Once this consistently works and is out in the world, it will be pretty much impossible to block, and WILL be abused. And then we’re all completely fucked. No one wants to know what’s going on in my head, just like I don’t want to know what’s going on in anyone else’s head. And don’t try the “but if you have nothing to hide” crap…EVERYONE has things they want to keep to themselves.
I can see the allure for disabled folks, but I personally don’t think the benefits for a few outweigh the massive negatives for the many. Though I’d be curious to hear from some people who could benefit from this.
If this eventually becomes mainstream, I’m out. Total hermit life for me.
This is scary. It’s cool technology for the disabled but I can absolutely see this being abused.
Every technology has the potential to be abused. This isn’t even at the top of the worst offenders.
This is at the top of the worst offenders.
Contact me when I can upload my consciousness into San Junipero.
OK, the only reason I would like this tech is that I could finally translate the symphony of music I hear in my head, mostly while laying down in bed for the night, that I could never actually play.
Yet still no cure for this fucking tinnitus.
Well, if anyone tries to read my inner monologue all they’ll hear is “ssssssssssssssssszszzzssssss”
*Puts on tinfoil hat.*
… “The researchers implanted arrays of tiny electrodes in the brains of two people with spinal-cord injuries.” …
I’d like it if nothing ever decodes my intrusive thoughts, thanks.
Or my regular thoughts. They get kind of… spidery.
I’ve shared too much already.
I’m awkward enough as-is.
This is really amazing technology.
I do wonder what it will decode for neuro-divergent people.
