Facebook Wants to Read Your Mind
As daily technology users, we all know typing can be boring and tedious – but what if you could do it with your mind?
On the second day of the F8 Conference, Facebook announced it has been developing “silent communication” software, according to the BBC. The software aims to allow people to type at a rate of 100 words per minute and will require new technology to detect brainwaves without surgical implants.
“We’re working on a system that will let you type straight from your brain about 5x faster than you can type,” Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, wrote on his Facebook page.
Building 8, the social media firm’s hardware research lab, has been leading the efforts in developing this new technology. With the enlistment of 60 scientists and academics, the company hopes to build both the hardware and software required to meet the goal.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of technology companies wanting to blend artificial intelligence with the human brain.
Back in March, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk launched Neuralink, a medical research company aiming to improve human memory through the use of artificial intelligence. The startup also hoped to offer numerous other AI-induced brain enhancements.
It’s easy to understand why people might feel uncomfortable with technology invading their brains. A blog post from Facebook, however, aims to reassure its audience that the software won’t be used to read users’ random, everyday thoughts.
“Think of it like this: You take many photos and choose to share only some of them. Similarly, you have many thoughts and choose to share only some of them,” the post explained. “This is about decoding those words you’ve already decided to share by sending them to the speech centre of your brain.”
Facebook has been stepping up its AI lately, recently announcing plans to use virtual and augmented reality to grow its platform.