Man Controls Amazon Alexa with Thought: ‘Gives Me Back My Independence’

A patient with a degenerative disease was able to control Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant with his mind thanks to a brain implant. Announcing the news Monday, the company behind the tech innovation allowed him to stream shows and control devices with just his thoughts.

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

According to the New York-based company, the patient suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

However, with the implant, the company says he was able to make video calls, play music, watch live shows, control smart home devices like lights, shop online and read books by controlling Alexa with his mind.

“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.

The purpose of the demonstration was to show how customers can use only their thoughts to operate smart homes equipped with Alexa-compatible devices, including door cameras, plugs and thermostats, the company said.

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

“Patients can operate devices they have at home without using their hands or voice, using only their thoughts,” he added.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink

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 second-patient testing as the technology improves.