Brain implant lets man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis control Amazon’s Alexa with his mind

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 17 — A patient suffering from a degenerative disease was able to control Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant with his mind, the company behind the technological innovation said yesterday, allowing him to watch streaming content and control devices using only his thoughts.

Brain-computer interface company Synchron said an implant implanted into a blood vessel on the surface of a 64-year-old man’s brain allows him to mentally “tap” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet.

According to the New York-based company, the patient, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was able to make video calls, play music, watch streaming shows, control smart home devices such as lights, shop online and read books by controlling Alexa with his mind.

ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

“Being able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence I’ve been losing,” the patient, whose name is Mark, said in a statement.

According to the company, the test was intended to show how customers could use only their minds to control smart homes with Alexa-compatible devices such as door cameras, plugs, and thermostats.

“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we send control signals directly from the brain,” Synchron founder and CEO Tom Oxley said in a press release.

“Patients can operate devices at home hands-free and voice-free, using only their thoughts.”

Several companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are working to connect brains to computers.

Neuralink in January installed a brain implant in a man paralyzed after a diving accident. Musk, who also owns Tesla and X, touted the implant as a success.

In July, he said his startup was “moving on” to a second test patient as its technology improves. — AFP