What happens when we marry brains to machines? with Sergey Stavisky

What is a brain-computer interface? How can a paralyzed person use her brain to control a robotic arm? How can someone who’s lost the gift of speech use brain signals to broadcast his voice again? Can we eventually restore autonomy and dignity so seamlessly that the technology disappears and the person reappears? Where are the ethical boundaries between restoring function and spying on private thought? Who owns the stream of neural data that represents you? Join this week with guest neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky as we dive into the world of interfacing brains and machines.

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More Information:

Stavisky SD. Restoring Speech Using Brain–Computer Interfaces. Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering. 2025 Jan 1;27.

Wairagkar M, Card NS, Singer-Clark T, Hou X, Iacobacci C, Miller LM, Hochberg LR, Brandman DM, Stavisky SD. An instantaneous voice-synthesis neuroprosthesis. Nature. 2025 Jun 12:1-8.

Willett FR, Kunz EM, Fan C, Avansino DT, Wilson GH, Choi EY, Kamdar F, Glasser MF, Hochberg LR, Druckmann S, Shenoy KV. A high-performance speech neuroprosthesis. Nature. 2023 Aug 31;620(7976):1031-6.

Metzger SL et al. A high-performance neuroprosthesis for speech decoding and avatar control. Nature. 2023 Aug 31;620(7976):1037-46.

Card NS, Wairagkar M, Iacobacci C, Hou X, Singer-Clark T, Willett FR, Kunz EM, Fan C, Vahdati Nia M, Deo DR, Srinivasan A. An accurate and rapidly calibrating speech neuroprosthesis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024 Aug 15;391(7):609-18.

Tang X, Shen H, Zhao S, Li N, Liu J. Flexible brain–computer interfaces. Nature Electronics. 2023 Feb;6(2):109-18.

Robinson JT, Norman SL, Angle MR, Constandinou TG, Denison T, Donoghue JP, Field RM, Forsland A, Kouider S, Millan JD, Michaels JA. An application-based taxonomy for brain–computer interfaces. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2025 Jun;9(6):789-91.

Video: New Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Allows Man with ALS to ‘Speak’ Again Using Brain Implant and AI

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