Key Points
- Brain implant breakthrough with a 64-year-old ALS patient controls Alexa using only his thoughts.
- Synchron’s technology, an implant in the brain, allows hands-free and voice-free control of smart devices.
- The technology restores autonomy for individuals with degenerative diseases.
- Other companies, like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are also advancing in this field.
A 64-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has become the first patient to control Amazon’s Alexa using only his thoughts. He used a brain implant developed by the brain-computer interface company Synchron to command Alexa-compatible devices, stream shows, make video calls, and even control smart home functions like lights and thermostats—completely hands-free and without voice commands.
The implant, placed in a blood vessel on the surface of the patient’s brain, allowed him to mentally “tap” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet. This groundbreaking technology represents a significant leap in the development of brain-computer interfaces, particularly for individuals with degenerative diseases like ALS, which progressively weakens muscles and leads to paralysis.
“For me, being able to manage key parts of my environment and control entertainment brings back some of the independence I’ve been losing,” Mark, the patient, said in a press release.
Synchron’s CEO, Tom Oxley, explained that this technology bypasses traditional methods of controlling devices, such as touch and voice commands, by sending signals directly from the brain to Alexa. This allows patients like Mark to interact with smart home devices in a completely new way, providing them with much-needed autonomy in their daily lives.
The experiment was designed to show how users could control smart home devices with just their thoughts, opening up a world of possibilities for people with paralysis or other mobility-restricting conditions. According to Synchron, the technology could be applied to a wide range of Alexa-compatible devices, such as door cameras, smart plugs, and thermostats.
Synchron is one of several companies working in the field of brain-computer interfaces. Elon Musk’s Neuralink is also a major player, having implanted a brain chip in a man paralyzed by a diving accident earlier this year. Musk recently announced that the company is moving on to a second test patient as its technology evolves.
