Cool use of the tech…
A patient named Mark, suffering from ALS, has been using Synchron’s brain-computer interface (BCI) to control devices like his laptop and phone with his mind. Synchron has integrated OpenAI’s latest AI models to develop a generative chat feature that assists patients in communication.
Key Points:
- Synchron’s BCI System: Designed to help patients with paralysis control external technologies using brain signals, translating these signals into commands for smartphones, computers, and other devices.
- OpenAI Integration: The new AI chat feature uses models from OpenAI to generate prompts for patients, aiding them in texting and other forms of communication.
Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley said the company is taking a “pragmatic view” in selecting the models that best support its patients’ needs. Right now, that role belongs to OpenAI, but Oxley said the companies are not in an exclusive partnership. Synchron does not share any brain data with OpenAI, he added.
Oxley said Synchron is still working to roll out the new chat feature, but Mark has helped pioneer it.
“For him, it’s a preservation of autonomy,” Oxley told CNBC in an interview. “The most important function of BCI is to preserve his ability to make choices.”