Yu Takagi, a neuroscientist from Japan, has made a breakthrough in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to decode brain activity into a readable format. Takagi used a deep learning AI model developed in Germany called Stable Diffusion (SD) to analyse brain scans of subjects while they were in an MRI machine, which generated up to 10,000 images. This development has sparked concern among top tech leaders, such as Elon Musk, who have called for a pause on the development of AI.
The breakthrough does not represent mind-reading at this point, and Takagi stressed that AI can only produce images a person has viewed. Nonetheless, this development has raised concerns about how such technology could be used, given the potential for misuse by those with malicious intent. Takagi believes that privacy issues are the most important consideration, and there need to be high-level discussions to ensure that governments or institutions cannot read people’s minds.
Takagi and his research partner, Shinji Nishimoto, have noted that there are still two major roadblocks to genuine mind reading: brain-scanning technology and AI itself. Despite advancements in neural interfaces, scientists believe we could be decades away from being able to accurately and reliably decode imagined visual experiences.
Although Takagi and Nishimoto’s framework could be used with other brain-scanning devices such as EEG, it has little practical application for such an experiment, as the shape of the brain differs among individuals. Nonetheless, the researchers are planning to improve the technology and apply it to other modalities in version two of their project.
Overall, the breakthrough in using AI to decode brain activity has generated much buzz in the tech community. However, it is important to note that such AI experiments have little practical application at present, and we are still decades away from actual AI mind reading.
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