Paralyzed Man Becomes World's First Person To Tweet Using 'Direct Thought'

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way. It is now allowing people to create posts on social media without any physical movement, and a paralyzed man from Australia has become the very first person in the world to give it a try. He posted the world's first "direct-thought" tweet using a brain chip and not his fingers.

This revolutionary technology lets AI interpret brain signals and translate them into texts or social media posts, therefore enabling users to tweet using "direct thought." The interface that aids the translation process was created by Synchron, a California-based brain-computer interface company that specializes in allowing patients to carry out tasks just by using their minds.

Philip O'Keefe, a 62-year-old patient who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), became one of the first patients to be implanted with the microchip called Synchron's Stentrode brain-computer interface.

Scientists implanted the microchip, which is the size of a paper clip, into O'Keefe's brain. Using this chip, the man was able to say, "hello world," which was then transformed into what is now being described as the world's first-ever "direct-thought tweet," as per Unilad.

The said tweet was posted on Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley's account. And the phrase became history.

In another tweet, he said, "No need for keystrokes or voices. I created this tweet just by thinking about it. #helloworldbci."

Interestingly, the installation process didn't involve any surgery as the chip was simply inserted in the brain via the jugular vein. Since then, O'Keefe has been able to communicate with his loved ones and play simple computer games such as "solitaire," reported Tech Times.

In a Synchron press release, O'Keefe said he's really hopeful the innovation will bring a sweeping change in the world of technology. He also shared how thrilled he was to try it.

"When I first heard about this technology, I knew how much independence it could give back to me," he recalled.

"The system is astonishing, it's like learning to ride a bike — it takes practice, but once you're rolling, it becomes natural. Now, I just think about where on the computer I want to click, and I can email, bank, shop, and now message the world via Twitter," O'Keefe said further.