Australian scientists are creating a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can turn brainwaves into text, meaning it can read a person’s thoughts. Usually, doctors use a test called EEG (electroencephalogram) to check brain activity. Now, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) are using EEG to try and understand what a person is thinking.

A student named Charles Zhou and his team have made an AI model that uses deep learning to change brain signals into words. For example, when team member Dr Leong wore a special cap with 128 sensors and didn’t speak at all, the AI was still able to show what he was thinking. It gave the sentence: “I am jumping happily, it’s just me.”

At the moment, the AI has only learned a few words and sentences.This makes it easier to match brain signals to the right words.The AI also helps by removing extra “noise” from the brain data. This is important because signals from different parts of the brain can mix when they reach the outside of the head.The project is still in the early stages. But the scientists hope that one day it will help people who cannot speak or move to communicate through their thoughts.

The AI was tested using a special cap with 128 electrodes.When a researcher wore the cap and didn’t say anything, the AI still translated his brain signals into a sentence: “I am jumping happily, it's just me.” Unlike Elon Musk’s Neuralink, this system doesn’t require surgery. It is non-invasive, which means nothing goes inside the brain. However, because of that, it can’t read the exact brain area that controls speech, so it’s not 100% accurate.

Still, this technology can be helpful in many ways, like helping stroke patients speak again, supporting speech therapy for children with autism, and allowing people with paralysis to communicate.

AI and brain health

In another study, researchers in the US built an AI tool that can predict brain problems years before they happen. This tool reads brain activity during sleep using EEG. It was able to identify 85% of people who later had memory or thinking issues, with 77% accuracy.These new tools are showing how AI can help us better understand the brain and improve lives by turning thoughts into words.