Brain implant lets man control Amazon’s Alexa with his mind

An implant in a blood vessel on the surface of the 64-year-old’s brain allowed him to mentally “touch” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet, brain-computer interface company Synchron said.

The patient, who lives with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was able to make video calls, play music, stream shows, control smart home devices such as lights, shop online and read books using his mind to direct its Alexa, according to the New York-based company.

ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

“Being able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence I’m losing,” the patient, named only as Mark, said in a statement.

The test was meant to show how customers could use just their minds to control smart homes with Alexa-enabled devices such as door cameras, outlets and thermostats, according to the company.

“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we send control signals directly from the brain,” said Synchron founder and chief executive Tom Oxley.

“Patients can interact with devices in their hands at home and without voice, using only their thoughts.”

Several companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are working on connecting brains with computers.

Neuralink installed a brain implant in a man paralyzed after a diving accident in January. Musk, who also owns Tesla and X, declared the implant a success.

In July, he said his startup was “moving on” to a second test patient as its technology improves.