Neuralink's brain implants let people control devices with thoughts; early trials show success in paralyzed patients.
Apple and Synchron use a less invasive method to link brain signals with devices like Vision Pro.
BCIs are still niche, mainly helping people with disabilities, while smartphones remain the go-to for most users.
Smartphones revolutionized nearly every aspect of how individuals communicate, work, and pass their time. But the following giant step may not be a quicker phone or an improved camera, it may be something far more science-fiction-like: brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs.
Firms such as Neuralink are developing technology that allows the brain to link up directly to devices. In the next decade or so, this could revolutionize how humans communicate.
Neuralink, a company started by Elon Musk, is working on brain implants that let people control devices with their thoughts. Instead of using fingers to type or talk to someone, the brain sends signals directly to a computer.
In early 2024, Neuralink implanted its first device into a human patient.
By 2025, three people with paralysis have been fitted with these implants.
One patient, Brad Smith, who has a disease that limits movement, has been able to type on a computer and even edit videos using only his thoughts.
Another patient had some issues when parts of the implant moved, but software fixes helped bring back most of the lost control.
Neuralink is also working on a device called Blindsight which might help people who are blind by sending visual information directly to the brain. This could start human testing by the end of 2025.
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Apple hasn’t made a brain implant yet, but it’s teaming up with a company called Synchron. Their device doesn’t require brain surgery like Neuralink’s. Instead, it uses a tiny tube inserted through a vein to pick up brain signals.
Synchron’s implant helps people who can’t move control computers and devices.
The company has connected its technology with AI from Nvidia and Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
This lets users control screens and apps using their thoughts without touching anything.
Not everyone is ready for this technology. A 2024 global survey found only 20% of people would consider getting a brain implant. In the US, that number is 11%, but it’s higher in some countries like India, where 38% said they might try it.
Many worries about safety, privacy, and what it means to have something inside their brain.
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The iPhone keeps improving with better cameras, faster processors, and features like augmented reality. It remains the main way most people connect with others.
Apple hasn’t released a phone controlled directly by the brain yet, but their work with Synchron suggests that brain control might be part of future devices, especially for people with disabilities.
In the next ten years, smartphones and brain implants could both be common. Right now, BCIs mainly help people with serious health problems. If tests go well, more people might start using them to communicate or control devices.
For most, phones will still be the main way to talk, text, and browse. But brain-computer interfaces could open new doors for how people connect, especially for those who can’t use traditional devices.