Thought reading: Should AI know what we’re thinking?

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Thought reading: Should AI know what we’re thinking?

Thought reading: Should AI know what we’re thinking?

Subheading text
The future of brain-computer interfaces and brain reading mechanisms is introducing new concerns about privacy and ethics.
    • Author:
    • Author name
      Quantumrun Foresight
    • January 16, 2023

    Scientists are developing brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to directly "read" the human brain through chip and electrode implants. These innovations tap into the human brain using novel methods to communicate with computers and control devices. However, this development can potentially end privacy as we know it.

    Thought reading context

    Scientists from the US, China, and Japan have been utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to better understand brain activity. These fMRI machines track blood flow and brain waves rather than just brain activity. The data collected from the scan is converted into an image format by a complex neural network called Deep Generator Network (DGN) Algorithm. But first, humans must train the system about how the brain thinks, including the speed and direction blood takes to reach the brain. After the system tracks blood flow, it produces images of the information it gathers. The DGN produces high-quality visual images by scanning faces, eyes, and textual patterns. Based on this research, the algorithm is able to match the decoded images 99 percent of the time.

    Other research in thought reading is even more advanced. In 2018, Nissan unveiled Brain-to-Vehicle technology that would allow vehicles to interpret driving commands from the driver's brain. Likewise, scientists from the University of California San Francisco (USCF) released the results of a brain activity study backed by Facebook in 2019; the study showed that it's possible to use brain-wave technology to decode speech. Finally, Neuralink's BCI started testing in 2020; the goal is to connect brain signals to machines directly.

    Disruptive Impact

    Once perfected, future thought-reading technologies will be far-reaching applications in every sector and field. Psychiatrists and therapists may one day rely on this technology to uncover deep-seated trauma. Doctors may be able to diagnose their patients better and subsequently treat them with more appropriate medicines. Amputees may be able to wear robotic limbs that react instantly to their thought commands. Likewise, law enforcement could use this technology during interrogation to ensure suspects are not lying. And in an industrial setting, human workers may one day be able to control tools and complex machinery (one or multiple) more safely, and remotely.

    However, mind-reading by AI can become a controversial topic from an ethical standpoint. Many people will view this development as an invasion of privacy and a threat to their well-being, causing many human rights groups to oppose these methods and devices. Additionally, according to the South China Morning Post, China's brain-reading technology is already being utilized to detect emotional changes in employees across multiple settings, such as in factory production lines. It's only a matter of time before one or more nations attempt to apply this technology at a population scale to monitor the thoughts of their respective populace.

    Another contention is that most scientists believe that ML is still unable to correctly detect and decode how and what humans think, feel, or desire. As of 2022, the brain remains too complex an organ to be broken down into components and signals, just as facial recognition technology is being opposed as a tool to accurately identify human emotions. One reason is that there are many ways that people mask their real feelings and thoughts. As such, the state of ML technologies is still a long way off from decoding the complexity of human consciousness.

    Implications of thought reading

    Wider implications of thought reading may include:

    • Mining, logistics, and manufacturing firms employing simple brain activity-reading helmets to determine employee fatigue and alert of potential accidents. 
    • BCI devices enabling people with mobility impairments to communicate with assistive technology, such as smart appliances and computers.
    • Tech and marketing companies using BCI tools to harness personal information to improve marketing and e-commerce campaigns.
    • National and international legislation managing the use and applications of BCI technologies across society.
    • Militaries applying BCI tech to enable a deeper connection between soldiers and the combat vehicles and weaponry they command. For example, fighter pilots using BCI may be able to fly their aircraft with faster reaction times.
    • Some nation-states deploying thought-reading tech by the 2050s to keep their respective citizens in line, particularly minority groups.
    • Pushback and protests by civic groups against brain reading technologies designed to spy on the population. 

    Questions to consider

    • What role should the government play in regulating BCI technology?
    • What are the other potential dangers of having devices that can read our thoughts?

    Insight references

    The following popular and institutional links were referenced for this insight: