Actress Han Hyo-joo expresses awe at the current state of BCI technology.
Today (19th) in the KBS major series Transhuman part 2 "brain implant," viewers meet various subjects using "brain-computer interface (BCI)" technology that big-tech corporations such as Elon Musk and Jensen Huang are focusing on.
BCI technology reads brain signals to enable remote control of computer screens, robotic arms and other devices. It began in the medical field to help paralyzed patients return to daily life. In part 2, following the first clinical trial participant of Elon Musk's BCI company Neuralink, the program captures the dramatic life of another BCI clinical trial participant, Scott Imbri.
Recalling the horrific car accident, Scott Imbri confesses, "When I woke up, the first thing the medical staff told me was, 'You are a paralyzed patient, and you will never be able to walk or move your hands.'" But contrary to the medical staff's expectations, he drives three times a week to participate in a BCI clinical trial at the University of Chicago.
Attached to Scott's skull, which looks as if it has 'two horns,' is a BCI consolidation device. Narrator Han Hyo-joo added, "Actually, opening the skull and implanting a chip in the head is a frightening thing. But he chose to do this himself," conveying the heavy tension on the scene.
The broadcast will especially reveal Scott Imbri's superhuman ability to move a robotic arm using only "thought." His appearance, seeming to exhibit a "superpower" that surpasses human limits, is shocking in itself. Scott Imbri, who is currently partially paralyzed, expressed hope, saying, "It was truly a great blessing that I was able to walk out of the rehabilitation ward. I think (BCI technology) will change many people's lives." The future of BCI technology, like the 'telepathy' of science fiction films, and another possibility for human augmentation pique curiosity. Broadcast tonight at 10 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by KBS.
[OSEN]