Brain-Computer Interface: The Construction of Artificial Highways
Authors: Alwazzan Ahmed 
Published: March 2024

One of the nifty advent of technology in terms of neurobionics is the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). It will be no wrong to regard its principle somewhat likely to a real-time chip robot that deciphers human impulses, traversing on the nerve highways, into commands that modulate human actions which have been rendered paradoxical due to any physical or congenital nervous injuries. BCI technology has empowered the disabled, enabling them to operate cursors and smart home devices using their minds. The famous NeuraLink is emerging to be an advocate of the latest BCI technology, having performed a new brain implant successfully; but deep research puts forward the name of Synchron as an instigator of BCI industry.  

A tailed-electrode, with sixteen electric arrays, is pushed up-stream near to the brain’s motor cortex region via a small incision made in the jugular vein [1]. Upon reaching the destination it tubes out against the interior wall of the blood vessel, functioning as an antenna to detect the tissues’ electrical activity of the proximal cortex region such as moving a leg or scrolling through a screen. These signals are demodulated into muscle-translatable commands by a transmitter fitted in the chest, that disseminates the waves to an external digital device which performs the specified actions through a connected effector device. Primeval BCIs incorporated a mesh of protruding wires. Trials are underway to replace it with a home-based BCI setup. For now, fifty severely paralyzed people, including brain-stem stroke patients, have received these stents with a few Australians and Americans roaming around freely with implants in their blood vessels as part of BCI contemporary testing.  

Despite such bamboozling invention by Synchron, it has its limitations owing to the inferiority of brain signals espied across the curtains of membranes in way. A Synchron user can only scroll through the web pages. NeuraLink enters the competition by offering a 1024 electrodes’ matrix of ultrathin conducting bio-friendly fibers, integrated onto 1 centimeter’s cube film that can be inserted by a robot [1]. In January 2024 the first brain-film implant was performed on a brain-disabled patient which is showing signs of recovery. BCI current research revolves around inculcating the electrode bearing agent(s) directly into the brain regions without invasive procedures, which will be a breakthrough in neurosciences of the current era.  

Despite of its unprecedented utility, the BCI system also opens the gate for controversial scrutiny. For instance, there might be an undesired compulsion on BCI industry to escalate the amplitudes of cognition, memory, motor functions, and intellect even of normal individuals. Peculiarities like infrared vision and memory augmentation pose a danger towards informed consent and privacy. An environment of disparity, ascribable to the unequal approach of the interface, may be created that will lead to socio-political issues of genocide [2].  

The anatomy of the human brain has this inherent tendency to reject any foreign agent playing with its natural traffic, thus for how long these electrodes can co-exist normally with human biology is a debate not yet started.      In research a robot sensitive to empathy was generated and named ‘cobot’. With the use of an electroencephalographic (EEG) sensor worn by the human agent, its BCI was built. The cobot responds to the threat and passes it on to the recipient human agent, creating a virtuous cycle of caring and security. Consequently, when the patient was exposed to unsettling motion, an increase in the EEG signal was recorded [3]. The brain-computer interface fails to stamp out the placebo effect associated with the recovery. Is it really the chip or the unwavering willingness of the human mind to adapt and thrive ?