Key Points
- Arnav Kapur developed AlterEgo, a headset that allows users to search the internet using thought
- The device picks up brain signals associated with words and uses them to query the internet
- It can answer questions, solve math problems, and access information discreetly and silently.
- Beyond personal use, it aims to help people with speech disorders like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and MS (multiple sclerosis).
Media Lab Links
“ I typed my own name into an internet search engine
And all I got was boobs
There goes my day again
There goes my day again
What’s a man supposed to do? “
For any fans of Tripod out there :)
And its not implanted into the brain kiling you?
That was my first thought. Dude that had the surgery seeing this and just thinking,“What the fuck, man?”
While there are several ways to approach direct brain communication, they all have their benefits and drawbacks. Indirect methods, like this one, are much safer. But direct implantations, while riskier to get going, have the potential for near unlimited speed (both in bandwidth as well as reaction time).
The latter definitely will have more benefits in the long run.
Does that mean I’d want one in my head right now? Absolutely not. But if I were a unable to control most of my appendages, I’d definitely consider it.
It’s how it starts, then you become Doctor Octopus.
I take back my previous comment. Where do I sign?
No, it appears to be an external headset, although it was noted that people wearing it looked like they had head injuries, but they are working on improving it so that it is less visible.
Great. Now I can find pinterest and quora spam with my very mind.
No dirty thoughts! No dirty thoughts!
Here’s the actual news release without the clickbait farm. https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/alterego/overview/
Press X to doubt, though. It’s probably nowhere near as accurate or adaptable as MIT implies. University PR depts are infamous for blowing hot air.
Edit: It’s from 2019. It’s definitely hot air
Yeah but how many monkeys were violently murdered to make the product?
Oh, none?
Oh. okay.
You can tell it’s bullshit right away because it’s not anywhere near the brain. How do you pick up brain signals from the jaw? Compare this to what you need for an EEG and all of that gear is there to just record responses to pulses of light.
IIRC, when you think about words, you also emit weak signals to your face like if you were actually pronouncing those words, but too weak to actually activate your muscles…
This device would pick up those signals.
EDIT: not saying this thing works, but the principle is valid.
Shame on me. It’s a jaw controlled interface. Like speech. Not brain controlled like… telepathy.
From the project’s page:
The wearable system captures peripheral neural signals when internal speech articulators are volitionally and neurologically activated, during a user’s internal articulation of words.
It doesn’t capture the central signal, but peripheral, most likely from the nerves running around your face and your neck used to produce speech.
