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from the voices-keep-telling-me-to-buy-stuff dept.
Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd
AlterEgo, [Arnav] Kapur's new wearable device system, can detect what you're saying when you're talking to yourself, even if you're completely silent and not moving your mouth.
The technology involves a system of sensors that detect the minuscule neuromuscular signals sent by the brain to the vocal cords and muscles of the throat and tongue. These signals are sent out whenever we speak to ourselves silently, even if we make no sounds. The device feeds the signals through an A.I., which "reads" them and turns them into words. The user hears the A.I.'s responses through a microphone that conducts sound through the bones of the skull and ear, making them silent to others. Users can also respond out loud using artificial voice technology.
[...] Kapur is currently testing the device on people with communication limitations through various hospitals and rehabilitation centers in the Boston area. These limitations could be caused by stroke, cerebral palsy or neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. In the case of ALS, the disease affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, progressively robbing people of their ability to use their muscles, including those that control speech. But their brains still send speech signals to the vocal cords and the 100-plus muscles involved in speaking. AlterEgo can capture those signals and turn them into speech. According to Kapur's research[pdf], the system is about 92 percent accurate.
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/device-can-hear-voice-inside-your-head-180972785/
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:13AM (4 children)
When I think about how this kind of tech could have helped Hawking and others who can't use their own voice to communicate I think "Wow! this is awesome!"
Then I think about how this will be misused by various organizations/agencies and it isn't that awesome anymore. It become frightening. Consider that when you are asked a question it is your "inner voice" that first responds with the truth, then you decide what you really want to say.
So what would happen if you forced someone to wear this during an interview or interrogation? Would whoever is looking at the output will know exactly what you REALLY think of the their company or "Glorious Leader"? with the right set of questions you could filter the possible dissidents out of the pool in a very short time.
I don't know about the rest of you but I would not want anyone to hear most of my internal dialogs.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by pipedwho on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:35AM (1 child)
Actually, the art of lying to someone else is first by lying to yourself. The sort of dystopian use of this technique that you describe would be even easier to fake out in situations where it actually mattered.
For example, when asked a question, "are you a Russian spy?"
Your first pre-programmed and rehearsed thought is, "hell no, I'm a die hard patriot!" ... "for China" ... damn, really that last part was a joke. It just popped into my head. Oh come on bro, please put down the taser. Pleeeeeeezzzzttttttttteeease!!!
(Score: 2) by pipedwho on Thursday August 08 2019, @12:42AM
And in the cell across the way:
PLA: "What is your affiliation with the Tibetan separatists?"
Tibetan Buddhist monk: "Aum....... Aum........ Aum........"
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday August 08 2019, @02:40PM
It's a good thing that the US would never do anything like that. Only those other bad countries with a Dear Leader.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 08 2019, @03:16PM
Exactly my sentiment, this.
And even worse, imagine these things, with 3g/4g/n+1g uplink, government mandated, doing speech to text and uploading it to be analysed by Department of Public Health and Un-%countryname% Activities!
They could automate liquidations with drones...
The upcoming fully managed future just got a bit more horrible.