AI Revolution: Paralysed Woman ‘Speaks’ via Digital Avatar

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the revolutionary technology system that has enabled humans to change their lives positively. AI has contributed to every part of human lives, including health, education, and corporate, making its stock prices soar to a new height. The daily progress in this field is evident because humans want ease and grace via technology and machines.

Diseases are natural and can cause severe impacts on a person’s life to various degrees. Ageing and other factors may weaken a person’s immunity, making them prone to ailments and other deadly sufferings. A paralysed person lives a challenging life as they are unable to do anything they want. Speech is one of the aspects of stroke affecting the victim’s life. 

Since paralysed people can’t talk, they need machines to develop their communication abilities. The present machines are operable, but they are not efficient and smooth. Therefore, AI has contributed to a technological system that helps paralysed patients regain their speech more naturally. 

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AI Helped Paralysed Woman Regain Her Speaking Power

Ann is a 47-year-old woman in the U.S. with impaired speech due to an earlier stroke attack on her brainstem. The patient has been suffering from the problem for 18 years despite some temporary movement-tracking technology instilled in her body. The mentioned technology allows her to speak, but the efficiency is low and makes her talk at a speed of 14 words per minute. 

The speed of the current technology is so slow that natural communication has become impossible with Ann. Therefore, the modern AI-powered technology will enable Ann and other paralysed patients to speak fluently regardless of their issues. It is when the research team from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) comes in handy. 

Ann has gone through the installation of the new avatar technology, making her ready for the next stage of training. The digital avatar that will help Ann speak needs to be trained on AI algorithms for the smooth functionality of the AI-powered technology. First, the system translates the brain signals into sensible words or sentences that are passed to the digital avatar that speaks for Ann. 

Brain-Computer Interface – Overview

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a revolutionary AI-powered technology that converts brain signals to speech or facial expressions with a fast speed of over 80 words per minute. This technology was in progress for about ten years at UCSF with the research team led by Edward Chang. 

BCI is an advanced computer-based system in the medical field that captures brain signals and converts them into a computer language that can be displayed on the output devices. BCI is a counterfeit system to balance the disabilities imposed by neuromuscular disorders, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord injury, stroke, etc. 

BCI is a futuristic innovation in AI-based technology that will help patients, surgeons, and medical students in a robust diagnosis and treatment procedure. It is worth noting that BCI systems can’t function without signal-acquisition hardware, making AI-powered digital avatars a must for this treatment. 

Related: AI in Healthcare: Revolutionising Diagnosis, Treatment, and Patient Care

The Miraculous Advancement of the UCSF

Edward and his team have worked tirelessly on this project, which will be an AI revolution for paralysed people due to its scope in the healthcare industry. His interview reflects his thoughts about the project, making him ambitious for restoring speech power in impaired patients. This way, patients can enjoy their natural ability in a sophisticated way. 

At UCSF, scientists developed a BCI system connected to the patient’s brain for the decoding of brain signals to a computer-based language. They did this by implanting 253 electrodes on the speech-generating site of the brain. This computer language was compatible with output devices, such as digital avatars, to synthesise the speech and facial expressions of the patient. 

The developed BCI system for paralysed patients is efficient and accurate since it does not convert the entire word or sentence but detects and synthesises speech from phonemes and the subunits of speech. Simply put, the newly developed AI-powered speech technology mimics a person’s brain to deliver the thoughts they have in their mind in the most natural way possible. 

The Future of Healthcare and Medicine with AI

AI is the core technological system that has transformed the various industries in the current world. Healthcare is one of those industries that have seen vast transformations, and the process continues. Thus, AI holds a positive and lucrative future for medicine that will help patients and doctors with effortless and accurate diagnosis and treatment. 

The speech of paralysed or stroke-suffered patients is a revolution of AI in the healthcare sector. However, the current system offers many flawed decoding of the brain signals, making it a less accurate speech. It also synthesised slow speech at 78 words per minute when natural conversation flows at a rate of over 130 words per minute. 

BCI needs more development and attention from well-established scientists to make this revolutionary technology a state-of-the-art medical innovation. Scientists are also hopeful of developing systems that can connect human brains with machines to carry out daily chores effortlessly, and we will witness such innovations in the future. If you want to learn more about the effects of AI on the future of humans, visit here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Applications of AI in Healthcare?

AI has several impacts on the healthcare and medicine industry. From robust diagnosis using AI to redesigning pre-existing medicine, AI has taken medicine to the next level of excellence. It has also enabled paralysed patients to speak again naturally via digital avatars connected to the BCI system. 

How Can AI Help Paralysed People?

BCI is the AI-powered system that connects a human brain to a computer device with shared control. It leads to the functioning of machines based on brain signals. Paralysed patients can use this technology for natural speech and facial expressions. 

Will Humans Control Things via AI in the Future?

As the progress of AI is top-notch, it seems to be true in the coming future that humans will have technology connected to their brains to carry out chores based on what they think. In other words, AI will enable humans to perform without using their body organs but just thinking about it.