Leaving OpenAI to Build 'Telepathy' Tech?

One of the brains behind some big AI developments at OpenAI, Daniel Bashir, has decided to strike out on his own. He's got a pretty ambitious goal: to develop what he's calling 'telepathy' technology. Now, before you imagine mind-reading, it's more about building tools that can understand brain activity and translate it into actions, like typing on a computer, without needing to use your hands.

His idea is to create an AI that can essentially 'read' the patterns in your brain when you're thinking or intending to do something. So, if you're thinking about sending an email, the AI would recognise those brain signals and help you draft it. It's a bit like a super-advanced brain-computer interface (BCI) — a direct communication pathway between your brain and an external device. This isn't science fiction anymore, with other companies already making strides in similar areas, like Elon Musk's Neuralink.

Bashir believes this technology could revolutionise how we interact with computers, making it much more natural and efficient. Imagine controlling a device just by thinking about it, or recovering the ability to communicate for those who can't speak or move. He’s taking the powerful AI models he helped build at OpenAI and applying them to this brand-new frontier, focusing on understanding the complex electrical signals our brains produce.

While this is very early days, the potential for such technology is enormous, from helping people with disabilities to changing how we all interact with technology. It's a huge leap from where we are today, but the fact that smart minds from leading AI labs are pursuing it shows it's not just a pipe dream.