A man with ALS has been using a brain implant for nearly three years to speak, surf the web, and work as a climate activist almost independently. His name is Casey Harrell, and researchers at the University of California, Davis consider him the first 'power user' of a brain-computer interface (BCI). His story is one of many signs that BCI trials are truly taking off.
Harrell received the implant in July 2023. Since then, a team led by David Brandman has refined the technology, improving decoding accuracy and introducing features like a privacy mode and a profanity filter to avoid accidental swearing when talking to his daughter. For Harrell, the device is 'nothing short of revolutionary': it has allowed him to maintain an income, reconnect with friends and family, and read to his daughter.
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Harrell's BCI consists of electrodes implanted in his brain that pick up electrical activity associated with speech. These electrodes are connected to two docking ports on his skull, which can be plugged into a computer. The software decodes brain signals into phonemes and predicts what Harrell wants to say, with eye-tracking corrections before speech is played aloud via a voice clone based on previous recordings.
Over the past two years, the number of volunteers with brain implants has more than doubled. Mariska Vansteensel, a BCI researcher at University Medical Center Utrecht, estimates about 150 people now have brain electrodes. Neuralink, Elon Musk's company, announced in January it has implanted 21 people. Synchron is testing its devices in North America and Australia, while Precision Neuroscience, co-founded by a former Neuralink creator, is trialing a BCI on the brain surface. In China, Neuracle recently obtained approval for use outside clinical trials.
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BCIs come in various forms: fully implanted wireless devices, less invasive surface electrodes, or caps. The trade-off is signal quality versus surgical risk. Most BCIs are currently in people with spinal cord injuries, but applications are expanding to conditions like ALS. However, crucial questions remain: how long do devices last? Why have some ALS cases stopped working? Research is the only path to answers.
The potential is enormous. Beyond communication, BCIs can control mobility devices. The BrainGate team, including UC Davis, has worked for over two decades, shifting from 'point-and-click' communication to speech decoding. Harrell's case shows how technology can restore autonomy and dignity. With more trials and new players, the future of brain-computer interfaces is closer than ever.
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For further reading, check out the article on Epic Games integrating generative AI into Unreal Engine 6, another example of how technology is transforming our world. And for an authoritative overview, see the Wikipedia page on brain-computer interfaces.
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/19/1139270/brain-computer-interface-trials-are-taking-off
