AI-Powered Brain Implant Restores Speech for Paralysed Woman

California– In a groundbreaking achievement, US researchers have successfully developed a brain implant using artificial intelligence that can turn the thoughts of a paralysed woman into speech almost in real-time. The innovative device marks a significant milestone in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and raises hopes of restoring communication for those who have lost their ability to speak.

The research team from the University of California, Berkeley, previously used a BCI to decode the thoughts of Ann, a 47-year-old woman with quadriplegia, and convert them into speech. While the technology initially had an eight-second delay, the latest breakthrough significantly reduced this delay to just 80 milliseconds, enabling a more natural flow of conversation.

Ann, who had lost her ability to speak after a stroke 18 years ago, was shown sentences on a screen, which she would silently rehearse in her mind. The implant then converted her thoughts into a digital version of her voice, allowing her to “speak” again. Ann expressed her excitement upon hearing her voice, describing the experience as a way of feeling like “truly myself.”

According to senior study author Gopala Anumanchipalli, the new system converts brain signals to Ann’s customised voice in real time, almost immediately after she intends to speak. While the technology is still in its experimental phase, Anumanchipalli noted that this breakthrough brings them closer to improving the lives of people with vocal paralysis.

The brain-computer interface intercepts signals from the brain after the user has mentally prepared to speak, capturing the specific words and movements of vocal tract muscles. The system uses a deep learning model trained on thousands of sentences Ann had previously attempted to silently speak, although the technology currently has a limited vocabulary of 1,024 words.

While there are still some inaccuracies and limitations, the technology has been hailed as a “very early proof of principle” by Patrick Degenaar, a professor of neuroprosthetics at Newcastle University, UK. He noted that the array of electrodes used in the system does not penetrate the brain, in contrast to other technologies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, making it potentially more scalable and easier to implement.

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With continued development and adequate funding, the researchers estimate that such technology could become widely available within five to 10 years, helping individuals with vocal paralysis regain their ability to communicate.

This breakthrough is expected to bring hope to many individuals who have lost their ability to speak due to paralysis, neurological injuries, or other health conditions, offering them a chance to once again connect with the world through their own voice.