According to Cnet, Synchron's device does not require open brain surgery and has achieved a world-first by incorporating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its software.
Patient “Mark” was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, and has seen his hand use diminish significantly. He is one of only ten individuals worldwide to have received Synchron's BCI as part of clinical trials.
Typing messages word by word with a BCI remains a laborious process. However, the integration of AI aims to streamline communication by considering the context of previous conversations and predicting potential responses, offering a menu of options for the user to select.
Instead of typing each word, responses can now be chosen with a single "click." A refresh button is available if the AI-generated answers are unsuitable, and Mark has observed the AI improving in providing responses that align with his typical speech patterns and will swear when required.
Synchron's founding CEO, Tom Oxley said the company has been experimenting with various AI models for about a year. The release of OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o in May has opened up new possibilities. The "o" in ChatGPT-4o stands for "omni," indicating its capability to simultaneously process text, audio, and visual inputs to inform its outputs.
One OpenAI demonstration that caught Oxley's attention involved a vision-impaired individual navigating the city with the AI describing surroundings and assisting in hailing a taxi. Oxley envisions a similar future for BCIs, where large language models like ChatGPT provide relevant prompts based on text, audio, and visual context, which users can select with their BCI.
Oxley emphasises that the company is not committed to any specific large language model. In the rapidly evolving field of AI, Synchron will adopt the systems that best meet their patients' needs.
Synchron's implant, known as a stentrode, is inserted into a blood vessel near the brain's motor cortex, which controls movement. To make a selection with the Synchron BCI, users think about moving, and the BCI interprets these thoughts, transmitting them wirelessly to execute the desired action on the user's device.
The cost of Synchron's BCI is expected to range between $50,000 and $100,000, comparable to other implanted medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers or cochlear implants.
While no implantable BCIs have yet received market approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, Synchron hopes to change this, though the process may take several years. Nonetheless, Synchron's BCI is already making a significant impact.
