Can AI Really Translate Thoughts?
American researchers have created an implant that uses artificial intelligence to restore the ability to speak to those who no longer have it. A true scientific breakthrough, still experimental, but which could see the light of day within five to ten years.
To express herself — nothing was more important to Ann. In 2005, this former math teacher suffered a heart attack that left her unable to speak. Recently, this woman, now 47 and quadriplegic, tried an experimental tool that could significantly improve her daily life: a brain implant capable of translating her thoughts into words. And it does so almost instantly.
The Implant Is Non-invasive.
It was U.S. researchers, more precisely from the University of California at Berkeley, who developed this AI-powered technology. They announced that the trial with Ann was a success on March 31. An article on the topic was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The device consists of an implant placed on the surface of the brain, connecting specific brain areas to computers. Thanks to this, doctors could allow people who have lost the ability to speak to communicate again — a major breakthrough that could change many lives.
The Delay Was Reduced From 8 Seconds To 80 Milliseconds
This isn't the first time the research team has tried this. They had previously attempted to use a brain-computer interface to translate thoughts into speech. However, the computer took up to eight seconds to express Ann's thoughts through the AI-generated voice. Now the delay is only 80 milliseconds.
Gopala Anumanchipalli, lead author of the study, explains that “the new transmission method converts brain signals into personalized speech in real time, one second after the desired speech.” A significant improvement in Ann’s social life, who hopes to retrain as a college counselor.
The doctors proceeded as follows: During the tests, phrases appeared on a screen, and Ann had to say them in her mind. The researcher explains that the device captures the brain signal after deciding what to say, after choosing the words, and how to move the muscles of the vocal tract.
This result required extensive training, with thousands of phrases that Ann had to say in her head for the AI to be as accurate as possible. Currently, the technology still has a limited vocabulary of 1,024 words.
Patrick Degenaar, a professor at Newcastle University in England, did not participate in the study but says this is still “a very early proof of concept.” Scientists, meanwhile, hope to see this technology implemented within 5 to 10 years.
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A brain implant translates thoughts into speech almost instantly