left-right: Adam Molnar, Andreas Forsland, Afshin Mehi, and Tara Tan discuss the future of neurotechnology and AI. Credit: Photo by Madeline Duncan

The AI track at SXSW consisted of roughly 150 panels, certifying artificial intelligence as this year’s hot topic. Sunday, leading experts in the field of neurotechnology discussed how recent breakthroughs broaden the horizons for brain computer interfaces (BCI).

Strange Ventures Founder Tara Tan led the conversation with Cognixion Founder Andreas Forsland, Card79 Founder Afshin Mehin, and Neurable Co-founder Adam Molnar. Simply put, BCIs interpret brain signals to trigger an external device or assistive technology. AI can simplify the process, aiding in brain-signal processing and automating repetitive tasks, Forsland explained.

There are two main divisions of BCIs: non-invasive, external interfaces and invasive interfaces, technology that requires surgery to allow technology to directly interact with the brain. For now, most available interfaces are non-invasive technologies that read brainwaves from the scalp. Molnar’s company developed headphones that read brain waves around the ears to analyze user productivity, focus levels, and patterns.

Forsland divides BCIs further, explaining the difference between passive and active interfaces. Molnar’s headphones fall into the passive category, processing data asynchronously and allowing users to access it later. At Cognixion, Forsland created the Axon-R headset, an active BCI designed to help those with neurodegenerative diseases to communicate and function in their daily lives. Combining the interface with augmented reality technology gives users real-time results and feedback.

Technological breakthroughs in BCIs have the potential to revolutionize health care. In 10 to 15 years, Molnar expects BCI to map everyone’s data from a young age to predict health outcomes, including early-onset diseases. In 50 years, he expects brains to begin to evolve alongside AI and BCI technology.

While still experimental, invasive BCIs are edging closer to reality. Mehin’s company recently helped develop and design Neuralink, Elon Musk’s implantable BCI that aims to allow users to control other tech devices with just a thought. Forsland said getting the public acclimated to non-invasive BCIs will naturally lead to more support for brain implants in the more distant future.

If talk of brainwave interpretation pushes you to grab the tinfoil hat, you’re not alone. Tan raised ethical concerns about data privacy and regulation, an issue the experts haven’t quite settled. Molnar said this issue can be minimized if developers follow good data policy. “The first principle is that data should be used to benefit the person from whom it came,” Molnar said. As for regulation, it’s a tricky balance between pushing forward and protecting customers. “There’s a tightrope act so that you’re not cutting off innovation before you can solve a problem, and you’re not under-regulating to the extent that you’re letting technology go rampant and not considering its implications.”

This Is Your Brain on AI: Neurotech’s New Horizons

2050

Sunday, March 10, 11:30am, JW Marriott, Salon ABC

Catch up with all of The Austin Chronicle‘s SXSW 2024 coverage.

This article appears in March 8 • 2024.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US