More Background Research

Intelligence Augmentation:

Intelligence amplification (IA) (also referred to as cognitive augmentation, machine augmented intelligence and enhanced intelligence) refers to the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence. The idea was first proposed in the 1950s and 1960s by cybernetics and early computer pioneers.

IA is sometimes contrasted with AI (artificial intelligence), that is, the project of building a human-like intelligence in the form of an autonomous technological system such as a computer or robot. AI has encountered many fundamental obstacles, practical as well as theoretical, which for IA seem moot, as it needs technology merely as extra support for an autonomous intelligence that has already proven to function. Moreover, IA has a long history of success, since all forms of information technology, from the abacus to writing to the Internet, have been developed basically to extend the information processing capabilities of the human mind.

Peripheral Nerve Interface:

A peripheral nerve interface is a bridge between the peripheral nervous system and a computer interface which serves as a bi‐directional information transducer recording and sending signals between the human body and a machine processor. Interfaces to the nervous system usually take the form of electrodes for stimulation and recording, though chemical stimulation and sensing are possible.[1] Research in this area is focused on developing peripheral nerve interfaces for the restoration of function following disease or injury to minimize associated losses. Peripheral nerve interfaces also enable electrical stimulation and recording of the peripheral nervous system to study the form and function of the peripheral nervous system. Many researchers also focus on the area of neuroprosthesis, linking the human nervous system to bionics in order to mimic natural sensorimotor control and function.[2] Successful implantation of peripheral nerve interfaces depends on a number of factors which include an appropriate indication, perioperative testing, differentiated planning, and functional training. Typically microelectrode devices are implanted adjacent to, around or within the nerve trunk to establish contact with the peripheral nervous system. Different approaches may be used depending on the type of signal desired and attainable.

Human-Machine Symbiosis:

More than five decades ago, J.K.R. Licklider presented an unsettling, yet tantalizing, a vision of the future: the close coupling of human brains and computing machines, otherwise known as the man-computer symbiosis. Since then, tremendous efforts have gone into realizing this vision, pushing forward computing technology in leaps and bounds.

Licklider’s vision is premised upon the idea that human intellect should be complemented by machines, such that computers are tasked to perform routine or formulating work, paving the way for insights and decisions by humans; in other words, technology as an enabler of human capabilities. That doesn’t prevent us, however, from pitting humans against machines and vice versa.

Take G-Therapeutic’s latest triumph: helping a paralyzed monkey to walk again thanks to a wireless brain implant. A 2014 Hello Tomorrow grand prize winner, G-Therapeutic is a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). This is the first time that a neurotechnology has restored locomotion in primates; while there is still a great challenge to restore movement in humans, these findings represent a huge leap forward for paralyzed patients with the use of implant devices.

And more recently, at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit, we had a chance to listen to Hugo Mercier talk about neurotechnology. Mercier is the CEO and co-founder of Rythm, a French startup which seeks to build upon the existing electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to enhance human performance. Using EEG, Rythm has developed its first product, Dreem, a wearable headset that helps improve sleep quality by stimulating brain waves with non-invasive sound to remain longer in deep sleep. Think of it as a metronome for your sleep.