A woman left paralyzed by a stroke has regained her ability to speak after 18 years of silence, thanks to an experimental brain-computer interface (BCI) and artificial intelligence. This is detailed in a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Francisco, employed:
- A BCI to establish a direct link between the electrical signals of the woman’s brain, known as Anna, and a computer;
- AI to translate thoughts into natural speech in real time.
The researchers recorded Anna’s voice from a wedding video two decades old, then recreated a synthetic version using digital technology. The device converted the woman’s brain signals into speech within a second.
“The real driving force here is Anna. Her brain does all the heavy lifting, and we just read what it’s trying to do. AI fills in some gaps, but Anna is the main protagonist,” commented Gopala Anumanchipalli, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.
Instead of using publicly available AI models, the team created a system from scratch specifically for Anna.
“We, as AI engineers and scientists, develop our own solutions tailored for Anna. AI as a ‘black box’ is not suitable, especially in healthcare, where one size does not fit all. We must rethink and create individual solutions for each person,” added Anumanchipalli.
The development of proprietary artificial intelligence is also necessary to maintain user privacy, the expert emphasized.
Neuralink
Anna’s success is part of a broader movement in BCI research, which has attracted major players, including Elon Musk’s company Neuralink.
On April 2, the startup announced a global recruitment of participants for testing its own device that allows computer control through thought.
? The Neuralink Patient Registry is now open globally!
If you have quadriplegia and are interested in exploring groundbreaking ways to control a computer using your thoughts, you can now sign up from anywhere in the world.https://t.co/jdKOJNhuKf pic.twitter.com/rgG1sRr8G7
— Neuralink (@neuralink) April 2, 2025
The firm seeks individuals with quadriplegia — paralysis of all four limbs.
In March, Neuralink’s first patient, Noland Arbo, reported no side effects a year after BCI implantation.
— Neuralink (@neuralink) March 20, 2024
He uses his brain chip “for a variety of things” more than 10 hours a day. Meanwhile, scientists are exploring how to control a wheelchair using the implant.
In January 2024, the startup successfully implanted a brain chip in the first volunteer. Soon, Arbo learned to control a computer mouse with his thoughts.
In August, Musk announced the successful completion of a new operation. He noted that his firm’s BCI will not only allow paralyzed individuals to control simple computer interfaces with their thoughts but also grant exceptional abilities, including thermal or eagle vision. In January 2025, the third operation took place.
At the end of March 2025, Neuralink planned an operation to restore vision. It intends to implant a new chip Blindsight into the brain.
In November 2024, Canada’s health ministry approved the start of clinical trials for Neuralink’s neurochips.