Project 3 Final: The Power of Our Brains

“Computing machines can do readily, well, and rapidly many things that are difficult or impossible for man, and men can do readily and well, though not rapidly, many things that are difficult or impossible for computers. That suggests that a symbiotic cooperation, if successful in integrating the positive characteristics of men and computers, would be of great value” (J. C. R. Licklider).

In 1960 in his paper “Man-Computer Symbiosis”, Licklider described how humans and machines, both with positive and negative characteristics, could complement one another. This cooperation was based on the idea that computers are tools that can reduce the time humans spend on tedious tasks such as finding basic information or making calculations. Licklider envisioned the way personal computing would develop and the design of the Internet. He admits, though, that a truly perfect interaction between humans and machines depends on the input and output equipment (“Man-Computer Symbiosis”).

While Licklider imagined that speech recognition could be a viable solution for the future of communications, voice commanded computers have mostly been seen in movies rather than in real life. Over the past years, researchers have directed their efforts towards brain-computer interfaces. This paper examines the recent developments in the technology behind human-machine interfaces and the prospective applications of this technology. The analysis has shown that this technology provides great opportunites particularly for disabled people, while it can also be used in the military, the entertainment industry, and communication. As with any other scientific breakthrough, there have been several negative reactions but these cannot hide the potential of this technology.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) represents a way of communicating between a human being and a computer through thoughts rather than motor movements. As explained in the article “From your Brain to the Machine”, BCIs are controlled by brain waves generated by particular thoughts (28). In most research experiments, electrodes have been implanted on the brain’s surface in order to process the brain waves. However, devices similar to chips that can be implanted in the brain allowing the mind to control computers have also been invented. For instance, BrainGate is one neural implantable device that has already been successfully tested on humans. According to the information provided on their website, BrainGate, the company behind these chips aims to improve the condition of severely disabled people, such as quadriplegics and Parkinson’s patients, with the help of neural implantable devices (Company).

Although this interaction between men and machines is often considered purely science fiction, the possibility of direct communication between humans and machines has been investigated since 1974 (Vidal). At present, innovation in technology takes place at an extremely fast pace. Therefore, the fact that research in this field has been done for almost half a century with no definite results, might actually lead many people to claim that BCI research should be dismissed, as it will never be safe. However, the slow development of brain-computer interface technology can be justified by the challenges faced by researchers when dealing with the human brain. The paper "Brain-computer interfaces as new brain output pathways" develops on some of the limitations of BCIs which can be caused by inexperienced users, and, most importantly, by the variability and the wide distribution of brain functions (Wolpaw 615).

In recent years, there have been successful experiments on animals, as well as on human subjects. Furthermore, as presented in Patrick Tucker’s article “Prospects for Brain-Computer Interfacing”, researchers strongly believe that the technologies will develop quicker in the near future (8). At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers have used the brain-computer interface technology to teach a monkey to control a robotic arm just with its thoughts. This is just one example that presents the potential of direct brain-machine communication. The technology could provide a new life for persons with severe motor disabilities as it has already been proved. In 2008, CBS’s 60 Minutes covered a story on BrainGate, admitting that “Once in a while, we run across a story that is hard to believe until you see it. That’s how we felt about this story when we first saw human beings operating computers, writing emails, and driving wheelchairs with nothing but their thoughts” (“BrainPower”).

In the article “Chips in Your Head”, Ohl and Scheich noted that 400,000 Americans suffer from partial or total paralysis due to spinal cord injuries (65). Therefore, there is an evident need for brain-computer interfaces that could provide new ways of interaction for paralyzed people. While people will not have their own blue surrogate, researchers are trying to move towards a world envisioned in the movie Avatar. Besides brain-wave control of computers, another future prospect is the control of external prosthetics.

In an excerpt from his new book published in the Scientific American, Nicolelis provides a thorough image of the coming “Age of Machines” by showing the numerous applications of BCIs (81). For instance, the exoskeleton, the robotic suit that allows physically impaired people to move, could be controlled solely by brain thoughts. Nicolelis’s positive approach towards this technology stems from the idea that human beings will finally break away from the limits of their own bodies: “I feel an intense calling to embrace the amazing opportunities that freeing our brains from the limits of our terrestrial bodies can bring to our species. In fact, I wonder how anyone could think otherwise, given the tremendous humanistic prospects that brain-machine interface research promises to unleash” (81).

The extent to which BCI have reached a larger audience is shown in the transhumanism movement. Transhumanism is a movement that promotes the enhancement of humans with the aid of technology. The information available on the website that promotes this movement, Humanity+ | Technology & the Future, is centered on the idea that posthumans will become extremely intelligent and resilient to diseases thanks to technologies such as genetic engineering, neural interfaces, or anti-aging therapies (Transhumanist FAQ).  Even with the limitless promises, there have been serious concerns regarding the moral implications of such devices. Many fear that this is just the human's desire to play God which will lead to dramatic consequences for the entire humanity.

However, the different interaction between humans and computers is not only meant to be used as a tool for extending the capabilities of the human body. In an interview for “Il Sole”, Nijholt explains that BCIs could simply be used at home for turning on the lights, but an even more interesting use would be in gaming. There are already tested games that use a BCI. As mentioned on the website Emotiv, the company Emotiv has already developed a wearable interface that measures and interprets brain activity as well as facial expressions (EPOC neuroheadset). Furthermore, in 2007, the technology news website Ars Technica announced that an interface has been developed that allows people to walk or fly their avatars in Second Life just by thinking of it (“Researchers help users control Second Life avatars via brain activity”). This technology has the potential to redefine the entire concept of immersion in virtual realities. Two experiments have been conducted in order to evaluate how the BCI can be used in virtual reality Cave-like system; while several limitations of the BCI are exposed, the results also show the level of engagement: some of the participants confessed to identify themselves with their avatars, and that it comes more natural to use BCI in a virtual environment (Friedman et al iv).

While this might be considered a negative aspect as the limits between the real and digital world become blurry, there are numerous educational purposes for which mind-controlled games could be used. In many of these applications concentration is the key and, since teenagers are likely to devote their complete focus to a game, they can simultaneously learn. Additionally, once BCIs permeate the entertainment industry, the costs of these devices will definitely become more affordable for the larger audience.

Another relevant use of such systems is for simulations, especially for military training. As stated online in the "Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Budget Estimates", DARPA is currently working at the project Silent Talk that will enable “user-to-user communication on the battlefield without the use of vocalized speech through analysis of neural signals” (12). It is acknowledged that DARPA is also investigating the possibility of telepresence, a concept that implies that a soldier is “physically present at a base or concealed location, but has the ability to sense and interact in a removed, real-world location through a mobile BCI device” (Kotchetkov et al iv, 4). While there are ethical dilemmas as to implanting chips into soldiers’ minds, these technologies could have a significant impact on reducing the number of people who lose their lives in combat.

In an interview from 2004 Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, made a very intriguing remark: “it’s credible to imagine a leap as great as that from hunting through library stacks to a Google session, when we leap from today’s search engines to having the entirety of the world’s information as just one of our thoughts” (“Google Guys”). While this idea was not taken seriously back in 2004, right now connecting all human brains to the Internet might seem the ultimate goal of the BCI technology. This paper has introduced several applications of BCI that are already functional or that will be used in the near future. The question that arises is whether the new channel of communication between humans and the Internet will lead to a new stage in the evolution of humanity.

In The Age of Spiritual Machines, Kurzweil goes as far as envisioning a technology that will allow humans to “port their entire mind file” into a computer and, thus, reach immortality (126). The predictions he made for 2009 included wireless communication, computers in all sizes, virtual business transactions, special devices for people with sensory impairment, and cyber music (277). Most of these ideas have materialized, so is Kurzweil right about the future of the human-machine interface? As BCIs are currently designed, the devices serve as a one way channel that transmits commands to a computer or robot. Furthermore, all the applications of this technology presented in this paper still require years of research to go mainstream. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict the next step of BCI research since the devices and technologies currently under investigation might not become applicable in a broader context.

What Kurzweil might be right about is achieving to access all knowledge. Although it will not be the exact scenario from The Matrix where one can insert a chip and immediately know how to fly a helicopter, the neural chips could provide a way to look through a huge database of information – the Internet. This could potentially change how search engines are organized. Instead of keywords, the Internet will display results based on one’s thoughts and feelings which are likely to be more accurate. This brings to light another concern over the capabilities of BCIs. Many worry that such devices could read one’s mind. As Wolpaw explains, BCI cannot read minds, but enables the user to develop new skills that are coordinated by brain signals instead of muscles (“Brain-Computer Interface Research Comes of Age”, 352).

As impressive as it might sound to have a permanent wireless link to the Internet, further research on the brain intricacies might determine whether it would be possible to connect a brain to another brain. Tapscott mentions in his book Grown up Digital a conservation with the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, in which Zuckerberg explains his vision: “In order for us to be successful in this century, we’re going to need to be more connected and we’re going to need to have a better understanding of where other people are coming from and just greater sense of like, we’re all connected” (qtd. in Tapscott 55). Thus, brain-to-brain connections would achieve Facebook’s main goal but, at the same time, they might render social networks obsolete. The BCI promises a web of intelligence and, as Nicolelis imagines, a net in which “individual participants not only communicate back and forth with one another just by thinking but also vividly experience what their counterparts feel and perceive as they seamlessly adhere to this true 'mind meld' ”(83).

There are definitely numerous applications of brain-computer interfacing. All the current research proves that the medical applications, as well as the military ones, could make a positive difference in the lives of many people. On the other hand, BCIs are most likely going to be used in virtual reality on a large scale. As for the way everyone will interact with the computer on a daily basis, in Wired for Thought, Stibel believes that the Internet will be similar to a brain and so, the connection between human brains and the Internet will become a reality: “One day, entering thoughts, feelings, or aspirations into the Web will generate a similar process – it will open up endless information, dynamically organized based on your thoughts” (154).

Once considered restricted in the pages of science fiction writings, the brain-computer interfaces have attracted the interest of the scientific world over the past years. The research conducted shows the prospects of the technology behind this different way of communication between humans and machines are immense in medicine, as well as in military and entertainment. Even though this paper’s focus is not the ethics behind the BCI, the moral factor is relevant for further research. This remains the most powerful argument against having a neural chip implant and, thus, altering the human body, which is seen as a violation against the unwritten moral code. However, considering the fact that BCIs have already enabled people with severe motor impairments to express in different ways, the developments in this field will continue at a faster pace. Indeed, taking into account all the advances presented, the world that the writer Gibson envisioned in 1984 might become tangible in the near future.

Works Cited

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