Lauren Goode: Yes, I think it’s really good.
Michael Calore: Yes.
Lauren Goode: It also means Katie still has time to connect, which is another thing she does on the side.
Michael Calore: I thought you would run 9 miles a day.
Lauren Goode: That’s too. She also runs, runs, runs. But yes, no, we are here, only you and I are dealing with the fog in our San Francisco office. It’s very foggy this time of year. People don’t think when they think of California, but the truth is. Is that just me and you?
Michael Calore: No, we have a guest. We have Emily Mullen on the show.
Lauren Goode: You’re kidding.
Michael Calore: No, we will bring her in just one minute.
Lauren Goode: let’s do it.
Michael Calore: This is connected Incredible valleya program about the people of Silicon Valley, power and influence. Today, we are talking about the brain computer interface. They are also called brain-computer interfaces, or just BCIS abbreviation. But no matter why you call them, these are incredible systems that allow direct communication between the brain and digital devices, like computers or mobile phones. People who have surgically implanted BCI can use their ideas as commands to make the machine perform different tasks. Currently, a game is being played in Silicon Valley to build a model that will stand out for the rest of the game. Among the leaders are Elon Musk’s Neuralink and a New York startup called Synchron. We will dig deeper into why the competition between the two companies is heating up, and the promises and limitations behind this futuristic technology. I am Michael Calore, Director of Consumer Technology and Culture, Wired.
Lauren Goode: I’m Lauren Goode. I am a senior correspondent at Wired.
Michael Calore: Today, we were spoiled, having a guest on the show cover the brain computer interface extensively. Emily Mullin of the wire.
Emily Mullin: Hello.
Lauren Goode: Emily, do you have brain implants?
Emily Mullin: no I do not.
Lauren Goode: OK, really, how firm are you about you?
Emily Mullin: I don’t want brain implants. no thanks.
Michael Calore: Before we entered BCIS, I was curious to know what was coming to mind when you thought of brain-computer interaction? For example, I mean, I think of Paul Verhoeven’s original 1987 work Robocop, it’s just Robocop, it’s just his head and torso, and then his limbs and all his running and walking are controlled by computers implanted into the brain.
Lauren Goode: I’ve never seen Robocop.
Michael Calore: Oh, this is a good movie.
Lauren Goode: Therefore, comments cannot be made on this. My thoughts, my thoughts? Well, that’s a big response, but I thought of all these promises around AI and healthcare and wondered if AI is ultimately the connective tissue that actually makes it viable. I never want one of them because it seems to me it’s like a demand-based technology, not that you should just drill a hole in your brain and entertain. But if you get to the point where you need it, hope that technology can really help the life aspects of your life, otherwise you won’t be able to live.
