I've Got Questions with Sinead Bovell Tech Companies Want Your Brain To Be The Next Smartphone | Professor Nita Farahany
Nov 13, 2025
In this conversation, Nita Farahany, a leading expert in neurotechnology, explores how tech companies aim to decode our thoughts through emerging devices like smart glasses and earbuds. She reveals the chilling implications for privacy, as brain data could unveil our innermost signals. The discussion delves into the ethical quagmire of cognitive liberty and mental autonomy while highlighting the risks of manipulation by AI. With the legal framework lagging, Nita emphasizes the urgent need for policies to protect our thoughts in this new frontier of technology.
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Neural Interfaces As Input Devices
- Major tech firms aim to replace keyboards and mice with neural-interface sensors embedded in everyday wearables.
- These sensors detect electrical brain activity and AI decodes intentions like typing or cursor movement.
Resolution Matters: Implants Vs. Wearables
- Implanted BCIs capture high-resolution signals, while scalp/ear sensors give low-resolution, averaged data through the skull.
- AI decodes those signals into intents like up/down or typing, enabling noninvasive control.
Brain Data Completes The Puzzle
- Brain data becomes the 'final piece' that, combined with camera and behavioral data, yields precise psychological profiles.
- That fusion enables AI to infer feelings and eventually thoughts over time.
