[HN Gopher] Devices that connect brains to computers are increas...
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       Devices that connect brains to computers are increasingly
       sophisticated
        
       Author : alister
       Score  : 30 points
       Date   : 2024-01-09 14:45 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (undark.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (undark.org)
        
       | mynameisnoone wrote:
       | There are at least 2 PhD EE teams interested in developing and
       | implanting 1k's-10k's of MEMS IR sensors with an option to add
       | electrical or light stimulation for a complete cybernetic brain
       | interface.
        
       | caycep wrote:
       | 1) Huth lab and Gallant lab are extremely highly regarding in
       | fMRI encoding/decoding, plus their code and models are released
       | as open source; much admiration for that.
       | 
       | There were some follow up studies to the visual decoding thing
       | which is getting more sophisticated w/ diffusion models and other
       | ML techniques improving the accuracy of semantic and visual
       | coding - I think a few were presented at NEURIPS this year
       | 
       | spooky thought - using the output from a Huth-style semantic
       | decoder into the Eddie Chang-lab/UCSF vocal synthesizer?
       | 
       | 2) I would say, the neuroethical part of things is growing in
       | importance. What's available in the lab still is way more
       | sophisticated than the devices out in the field - DBS, rTMS,
       | ambulatory EEG, but it's worth having that discussion.
       | 
       | 3) Given the above - almost a decade after Obama BRAIN - the lab
       | demonstrations are getting better and better...but none of them
       | have joined DBS, rTMS, ambulatory EEG as something in routine use
       | - i.e. I cannot order an fMRI decoder on a patient in any
       | practical shape or form, or get it covered by Medicare....
        
         | mchusma wrote:
         | Thanks for the context!
         | 
         | I found the article a bit puzzling as it made the researchers
         | seem almost panicked about the neuroethical part. This was
         | either: (1) a journalistic technique (2) the capabilities are
         | progressing far faster here than I have seen, and the article
         | didn't really do a good job of going into it.
         | 
         | I would like it to be based on real progress, but I don't think
         | the article really described the recent progress well.
        
       | whalesalad wrote:
       | No way in hell I would ever install a computer in my body, not
       | even a pacemaker. I would rather shrivel up and return to nature
       | than get rekt by a hardware/software mistake.
        
         | tsimionescu wrote:
         | "I'd rather die for sure than risk being killed by a
         | malfunction in a pacemaker" seems like a rather bizarre
         | positon. I completely understand (and share) not wanting
         | elective brain surgery for cybernetic implants of this kind,
         | but a pacemaker is a very simple choice: if you need one, you
         | either have it installed or you die. Sure, it might malfunction
         | and kill you, but that's still better than 100% chance of
         | death, isn't it?
        
           | whalesalad wrote:
           | Honestly no. If my doc came to me and said, only option is a
           | pace maker. I would probably just become a hermit and
           | literally die.
        
             | SketchySeaBeast wrote:
             | Become a hermit? You might not even be able to leave the
             | hospital.
        
       | standardly wrote:
       | > spend decades deliberately developing mind-reading computer
       | technology
       | 
       | > mind-reading computer technology finally works
       | 
       | > "oh no, it actually works - wait, isn't this bad? think of all
       | the ethical implications! what have we done?"
        
       | Gigachad wrote:
       | The ethics of this seem awful. If the tech actually works, it's
       | almost certain that governments will start using it to force
       | information out of people.
        
         | Loughla wrote:
         | There is zero way a system that is wired into the place where
         | pain is translated won't be used for evil.
        
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       (page generated 2024-01-10 23:00 UTC)