Latest news with #speechtechnology
Fox News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fox News AI Newsletter: Amazing breakthrough for paralyzed man who can't speak
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER: - Paralyzed man speaks and sings with AI brain-computer interface- Robots are taking over Uber Eats deliveries. Is your city next?- Republicans scrap deal in 'big, beautiful bill' to lower restrictions on states' AI regulations VOICE BREAKTHROUGH: When someone loses the ability to speak because of a neurological condition like ALS, the impact goes far beyond words. It touches every part of daily life, from sharing a joke with family to simply asking for help. Now, thanks to a team at the University of California, Davis, there's a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system that's opening up real-time, natural conversation for people who can't speak. This technology isn't just about converting thoughts into text. Instead, it translates the brain signals that would normally control the muscles used for speech, allowing users to "talk" and even "sing" through a computer, almost instantly. JOBS ON THE LINE: If you've ordered food on Uber Eats recently, you may have seen a delivery robot instead of a human driver. Uber has partnered with Avride to bring autonomous robots to the streets. They already operate in several U.S. cities, and your area could be next. 'NOT ACCEPTABLE': A deal that had been reached between Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, over how states can regulate artificial intelligence has been pulled from President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill. OFFLINE BRAIN POWER: Google DeepMind has introduced a powerful on-device version of its Gemini Robotics AI. This new system allows robots to complete complex tasks without relying on a cloud connection. Known as Gemini Robotics On-Device, the model brings Gemini's advanced reasoning and control capabilities directly into physical robots. It is designed for fast, reliable performance in places with poor or no internet connectivity, making it ideal for real-world, latency-sensitive environments. SAVE OUR CHILDREN: When my 16-year-old son Mason was going through a painful breakup, he did what many kids of his generation do: He turned to TikTok. Mason used the social media site to search for positive affirmations and inspirational quotes. Instead, TikTok's algorithm sent him the most horrific content urging suicide and self-harm. In November 2022, Mason took his own life. PRIVACY NIGHTMARE: Meta's new AI chatbot is getting personal, and it might be sharing more than you realize. A recent app update introduced a "Discover" feed that makes user-submitted chats public, complete with prompts and AI responses. Some of those chats include everything from legal troubles to medical conditions, often with names and profile photos still attached. The result is a privacy nightmare in plain sight. MAN VS MACHINE: As sixth-generation fighter programs ramp up, military insiders are divided over whether future warplanes need pilots at all. The Pentagon is pouring billions into next-generation aircraft, pushing the boundaries of stealth and speed. But as America eyes a future of air dominance, one question looms large: Should Americans still be risking their lives in the cockpit? FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Health DOWNLOAD OUR APPS Fox NewsFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubi WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE STREAM FOX NATION Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Paralyzed man speaks and sings with AI brain-computer interface
When someone loses the ability to speak because of a neurological condition like ALS, the impact goes far beyond words. It touches every part of daily life, from sharing a joke with family to simply asking for help. Now, thanks to a team at the University of California, Davis, there's a new brain-computer interface (BCI) system that's opening up real-time, natural conversation for people who can't speak. This technology isn't just about converting thoughts into text. Instead, it translates the brain signals that would normally control the muscles used for speech, allowing users to "talk" and even "sing" through a computer, almost instantly. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my The heart of this system is four microelectrode arrays, surgically implanted in the part of the brain responsible for producing speech. These tiny devices pick up the neural activity that happens when someone tries to speak. The signals are then fed into an AI-powered decoding model, which converts them into audible speech in just ten milliseconds. That's so fast, it feels as natural as a regular conversation. What's especially remarkable is that the system can recreate the user's own voice, thanks to a voice cloning algorithm trained on recordings made before the onset of ALS. This means the person's digital voice sounds like them, not a generic computer voice. The system even recognizes when the user is trying to sing and can change the pitch to match simple melodies. It can also pick up on vocal nuances, like asking a question, emphasizing a word, or making interjections such as "aah," "ooh," or "hmm." All of this adds up to a much more expressive and human-sounding conversation than previous technologies could offer. The process starts with the participant attempting to speak sentences shown on a screen. As they try to form each word, the electrodes capture the firing patterns of hundreds of neurons. The AI learns to map these patterns to specific sounds, reconstructing speech in real-time. This approach allows for subtle control over speech rhythm and tone, giving the user the ability to interrupt, emphasize, or ask questions just as anyone else would. One of the most striking outcomes from the UC Davis study was that listeners could understand nearly 60 percent of the synthesized words, compared to just four percent without the BCI. The system also handled new, made-up words that weren't part of its training data, showing its flexibility and adaptability. Being able to communicate in real-time, with one's own voice and personality, is a game-changer for people living with paralysis. The UC Davis team points out that this technology allows users to be more included in conversations. They can interrupt, respond quickly, and express themselves with nuance. This is a big shift from earlier systems that only translated brain signals into text, which often led to slow, stilted exchanges that felt more like texting than talking. As David Brandman, the neurosurgeon involved in the study, put it, our voice is a core part of our identity. Losing it is devastating, but this kind of technology offers real hope for restoring that essential part of who we are. While these early results are promising, the researchers are quick to point out that the technology is still in its early stages. So far, it's only been tested with one participant, so more studies are needed to see how well it works for others, including people with different causes of speech loss, like stroke. The BrainGate2 clinical trial at UC Davis Health is continuing to enroll participants to further refine and test the system. Restoring natural, expressive speech to people who have lost their voices is one of the most meaningful advances in brain-computer interface technology. This new system from UC Davis shows that it's possible to bring real-time, personal conversation back into the lives of those affected by paralysis. While there's still work to be done, the progress so far is giving people a chance to reconnect with their loved ones and the world around them in a way that truly feels like their own. As brain-computer interfaces become more advanced, where should we draw the line between enhancing lives and altering the essence of human interaction? Let us know by writing to us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
