This appeared last week:
The brain implant revolution is here. Why is its
inventor Tom Oxley terrified?
Is our
cognitive liberty at risk in Elon Musk’s new era of human enhancement? Amid
warnings that brain implants could dismantle the concept of self, experts are
joining forces to establish the rules for the future.
Natasha
Robinson
10:30PM June
27, 2025.
The Weekend
Australian Magazine
In Australia,
the announcement landed quietly, buried in the technology pages of newspapers.
The scant column inches devoted to this harbinger of the true AI revolution
belied its significance. But the man at the centre of the crest of an era of
superintelligence is in no doubt of what is coming. It infects his dreams.
“It’s just
blowing me away, what is coming,” says Australian neurologist Tom Oxley, the
co-inventor of the world’s most innovative brain-computer interface (BCI) that
is at the forefront of the world’s progression towards cognitive artificial
intelligence. “It’s phenomenal. The next couple of decades are going to be very
hard to predict. And every day, I’m increasingly thinking that BCIs are going
to have more of an impact than anyone realises.”
Brain-computer
interfaces are tiny devices inserted directly into the brain, where they pick
up electrical signals and transmit them to an external computer or device where
they are decoded algorithmically. The subject of a
cover story in this Magazine in 2023, a BCI called the Stentrode, developed
at the University of Melbourne by Oxley’s company Synchron, is inserted into
the brain non-invasively through the jugular vein.
In 2022,
Synchron, which initially received funding from the US Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Australian Government, and later attracted investment
from the likes of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, had become the first company in
the world to be approved
by the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a human trial of its BCI
in the US – outpacing Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, which is operating in the
same space. Since then the Stentrode has been implanted into 10 people with
neurodegenerative disease, enabling them to control devices such as computers
and phones with their thoughts.
While Oxley
and his company co-founder Nicholas Opie’s vision for the company remains
dedicated to restoring functionality in those with paralysis, Oxley is
realistic that the technology will in coming years have wider application and
demand: an era of radical human enhancement.
A seismic
development in Synchron’s evolution occurred in March, when Oxley announced a
partnership between the company and chipmaking giant Nvidia, to build an AI
brain foundation model that learns directly from neural data. The model, dubbed
Chiral, connects Syncron’s BCI – developed in Melbourne – with Nvidia’s AI
computing platform Holoscan, which allows developers to
build AI streaming apps that can be displayed on Apple’s Vision Pro spatial
computer, the tech giant’s early foray into extended reality.
“A core human
drive, encoded in our DNA, is to improve our condition,” says Oxley, a
professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne’s department of medicine and
now based in New York City. “For patients with neurological injury, this means
restoring function. In the future, it seems inevitable that it will include
enhancement [in the wider population]. BCIs will enable us to go beyond our
physical limitations, to express, connect and create better than ever before.
Neurotechnology should be a force for wellbeing, expanding human potential and
improving quality of life.”
But the
collision of the development of BCIs with the now-supercharged development
of AI has ramifications almost beyond imagining. Currently, AI computational
systems like ChatGPT learn from data, with machine learning technology
modelling neural networks trained by large language models from text drawn from
across the internet and digitised books.
The prospect
of AI platforms accessing data streams directly out of the brain opens up a
future in which our private thoughts could be made transparent. While the
US Food and Drug Administration is tightly controlling the application of AI in
the BCIs it will assess and approve, the prospect of these devices directly
accessing neural data nevertheless opens up great potential for surveillance,
commercial exploitation, and even the loss of what it means to be human.
“Liberal
philosophers John Stuart Mill and John Locke and others, but even back further
to ancient Eastern philosophers and ancient Western philosophers, wrote about
the importance of the inner self, of cultivating the inner self, of having that
private inner space to be able to grow and develop,” says Professor Nita
Farahany, a leading scholar on the ethical, legal and social implications of
emerging technologies.
She is
working closely with Oxley on establishing an ethical framework for the future
of neurotechnology. “It’s always been one of the cornerstones of the concept
of liberty. The core concept of autonomy, I think, can be deeply enabled by
neurotechnology and AI, but it also can be incredibly eroded.
“On the one
hand, I think it’s incredible to enable somebody with neurodegenerative disease
– who is non-verbal, or has locked-in syndrome – to reclaim their cognitive
liberty and their self-determination, and to be able to speak again. I think
that’s incredibly exciting. On the other hand, I find it terrifying.
“How do we
make sure the AI interface is acting with fidelity and truth to the user and
their preferences?”
Two
decades ago, American inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil predicted a moment
in human history that he dubbed the “singularity”: a time when AI would reach
such a point of advancement that a merger of human brains and the vast data
within cloud-based computers would create a superhuman species. Kurzweil has
predicted the year 2029 as the point at which AI will reach the level of human
intelligence. The combination of natural and artificial intelligence will be
made possible by BCIs which will ultimately function as nanobots, Kurzweil
recently said in an interview; he reckons human intelligence will be expanded
“a millionfold”, profoundly deepening awareness and consciousness.
Billionaire
Elon Musk – whose company Neuralink is also developing a BCI – believes AI may
surpass human intelligence within the next two years. Musk, who has previously
described AI as humanity’s biggest existential threat, has warned of
catastrophic consequences if AI gets out of control. He has stressed that AI
must align with human values, and is now positioning BCIs as a way to mitigate
the risks of artificial superintelligence. He believes BCIs hold the key to
ensuring that the new era of AI – in which the supertechnology could become
sentient and even menacing – does not destroy humanity. Musk’s vision for
Neuralink’s BCI is to enhance humankind to offset the existential risks of
artificial intelligence – a theory dubbed “AI alignment”. It’s an outlook in
step with transhumanist philosophy, which holds that neurotechnology is the
gateway to human evolution, and that technology should be used to transcend our
physical and mental limitations.
But Oxley is
at odds with Musk on AI alignment – and believes that using BCIs as a vehicle
to attempt to match the power of AI is ethically problematic. He’s focused
instead on laying the groundwork to ensure the future of AI does not undermine
fundamental human liberty.
“BCIs can’t
solve AI alignment,” Oxley says. “The problem isn’t bandwidth, it’s behavioural
control. AI is on an exponential trajectory, while human cognition – no matter
how enhanced – remains biologically constrained. AI safety depends on
governance and oversight, not plugging into our brains. Alignment must be
addressed in a paradigm where humans will never fully comprehend every model
output or decision. This represents the grand challenge of our time, yet it is
not one that BCIs will fix.”
Almost two
years after I first reported on the development of Synchron’s pioneering,
non-invasive BCI, I’m sitting down with Oxley at a cafe in Sydney; he’s on a
brief trip home from New York to see family. It’s difficult to reconcile his
achievements with the unassuming, youthful 44-year old sitting opposite, as he
grapples with the enormous weight of responsibility he now feels around his
invention.
“Starting to
understand that there are going to be mechanisms of subconscious thought
process detection enabled by BCIs has made me realise that there is a danger
with the technology,” Oxley says. “I am cautiously optimistic about the
trajectory in the US, which I think is going to be gated by the FDA [Food and
Drug Administration], which is kind of playing a global role [in regulating
safety]. But there’s work to be done. Algorithms already manipulate human
cognition. Integrating them directly into our brains puts us at risk of AI
passively shaping our thoughts, desires and decisions, at a level we may not
even perceive.
“I think this
technology is just as likely to make us vulnerable as it is to help us, because
you expose your cognitive processes that up until this point have been
considered sacrosanct and very private. The technology is going to enable us to
do things that we couldn’t previously do, but it’s going to come with risk.”
The magnitude
of that risk, and the burden of conscience and intellect that comes with being
an agonist in opening up the possibility of what AI pessimists fear could be a
dystopian future, has triggered Oxley to shift gear from entrepreneur and
inventor to the ethical steward of a cutting-edge tech company. He’s at the
forefront of worldwide efforts to embed the right to cognitive liberty within a
set of governing principles for the future of neurotechnology. It’s an
extraordinary gear shift for the neurologist, whose career as an inventor was
initially purely focused on wanting to improve the lives of patients who were
paralysed. Now he finds himself leading what is essentially a burgeoning tech
company valued at about $US1 billion.
“I did have a
sense starting out that what we were doing was going to be hugely impactful,”
he says. “I was looking to commit my intellectual, academic life to something
that I thought was going to be impactful on a big scale. But the way it’s
morphing and evolving now is quite humbling and exciting.
“I had an
epiphany a couple of months ago that probably the most important thing I can do
right now is to try and get the ethics of all of this right. That’s where I
find myself right now. It’s in my dreams. It’s in my subconscious. It’s become
probably the most important thing that I want to do.”
Cognitive
liberty is a term popularised by Farahany, who says the concept of rights and
freedoms embedded within liberal philosophy and democratic governance must be
urgently updated and reimagined in the digital era.
“The brain is
the final frontier of privacy. It has always been presumed to be a space of
freedom of thought, a private inner sphere, a secure entity,” Farahany says.
“If you think about what the concept of liberty has meant over time, that
privacy and the importance of the cultivation of self is at the core of the
concept of human autonomy.
“The right to
cognitive liberty in the digital age is both the right to maintain mental
privacy and freedom of thought, and the right to access and change our brains
if we choose to do so. If we have structures in place, like a base layer that’s
just reading neural data and a guardian layer that is adhering to the
principles of cognitive liberty, we can align technologies to be acting
consistent with enabling human flourishing. But if we don’t, that private inner
space that was held sacred from the earliest philosophical writings to today –
the capacity to form the self – I think will collapse over time.”
The future
of AI-powered neurotechnology is already moving apace. Nvidia – which makes
the chips used worldwide by OpenAI systems, and which now has a market
capitalisation of $A5.47 trillion, closely rivalling Microsoft at the top of
the leaderboard of the world’s largest companies by market cap – in January
announced its predictions for the future of AI in healthcare. It named digital
health, digital biology including genomics, and digital devices including
robotics and BCIs as the most significant new emerging technologies. That
reflected bets already placed by the market: the BCI sector is now powered by
at least $33 billion in private investment.
Neural
interface technologies are already hitting the consumer market prior to BCIs
coming to fruition. Apple has patented a next-generation AirPods Sensor System
that integrates electroencephalogram (EEG) brain sensors into its earphones.
The devices’ ability to detect electrical signals generated by neuronal
activity, which would be transmitted to an iPhone or computer, opens up the
ability to interact with technology through thought control, and would give
users insights direct from the brain into their own mental health, productivity
and mood. Meta is working on wristwatch-embedded devices that utilise AI to
interpret nerve impulses via electromyography, which would enable the wearer to
learn, adapt and interact with their own mental state.
But the
prospect of AI accessing neural data directly via BCIs is a whole new ball
game. Transmitting neural data direct from the brain to supercomputers means an
individual’s every thought – even subconscious thoughts one is not even aware
of – could be made transparent, akin to uploading the mind. Beyond that, our
thoughts could be manipulated by powerful algorithms that open up the
possibility of a terrifying new era of surveillance capitalism or even coercive
state control. “Our last fortress of privacy is in jeopardy,” writes Farahany
in her seminal book The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think
Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. “Our concept of liberty is in dire
need of being updated.”
Farahany
describes the early neurotech devices that are beginning to hit the market as
“harbingers of a future where the sanctity of our innermost thoughts may become
accessible to others, from employers to advertisers, and even government
actors”.
“This is how
we find ourselves at a moment when we must be asking not just what these
technologies can do, but what they mean for the unseen, unspoken parts of our
existence,” Farahany writes in her book. “This is about more than preventing
unwanted mental intrusions; it is a guiding principle for human flourishing on
the road ahead. We should move quickly to affirm broader interpretations of
self-determination, privacy and freedom of thought as core components of
cognitive liberty.”
The rise of
social media, with its rampant algorithmic-enabled commercial exploitation,
surveillance without consent and devastating impacts on human mental states,
has already provided a glimpse of the consequences if the world does not
achieve a critical balance between the positive potentials of AI-powered
neurotechnology and the risks. Human concentration spans have been shredded by
social media models that exploit dopamine-driven addiction to likes and
attention; the mental health of many young people has deteriorated as a
consequence, and data has been harvested and monetised on a massive scale.
Oxley is determined not to let BCIs go in the same direction.
“The
dopaminergic drive within a human makes us very vulnerable,” says Oxley. “And
if AI opens up to market forces and is able to prey on the weakness of humans,
then we’ve got a real problem. There is a duty of care with this technology.”
Oxley is
now co-chairing, with Farahany, the newly formed Global Future Council on
Neurotechnology, which convenes more than 700 experts from academia, business,
government, civil society and international organisations as a time-bound
think-tank. The Council – an initiative of the World Economic Forum – is
concerned with ensuring the responsible development, integration and deployment
of neurotechnologies including BCIs to unlock new avenues for human
advancement, medical treatment, communication and cognitive augmentation.
UNESCO is
also drafting a set of cognitive AI principles, while some Latin American
countries have already moved to direct legislative regulation.
Oxley has now
put forward his own vision for addressing the existential risks to human
autonomy, privacy and the potential for discrimination. He has structured his
neurotechnology ethical philosophy around three pillars: Human Flourishing,
Cognitive Sovereignty and Cognitive Pluralism.
“Innovation
should prioritise human agency, fulfilment, and long-term societal benefits,
ensuring that advancements uplift rather than diminish human dignity,” Oxley
stated in a public outline of his ideas in a LinkedIn post earlier this year.
“Regulation should enable responsible progress without imposing unnecessary
restrictions that limit personal autonomy or access to life-enhancing
technologies. If we get it right, BCIs would become a tool for human
expression, connection and productivity, enabling humans to transcend physical
limitations.
“Individuals
must have absolute control over their own cognitive processes, free from external
manipulation or coercion. Privacy and security are paramount: users must own
and control their brain data, ensuring it is protected from exploitation by
corporations, governments, or AI-driven algorithms. BCIs must prevent
subconscious or direct co-option and safeguard against covert or overt AI
influence in commerce and decision-making. This may require decentralised,
user-controlled infrastructure to uphold cognitive autonomy. Above all, BCIs
should enhance personal agency, not erode it.”
If cognitive
sovereignty cannot be guaranteed, AI-driven coercion and persuasion looms as a
menacing prospect. “Advanced algorithms could exploit subconscious processes,
subtly shaping thoughts, decisions and emotions for commercial, political or
ideological agendas,” Oxley says. Rather, BCIs should enhance human agency,
ensuring AI is “assistive, not intrusive… empowering individuals without
shaping their decisions or subconscious cognition”.
Neither Oxley
nor Farahany are in favour of centralised regulation. They favour
“decentralised cognitive autonomy ... a user-controlled, secure ecosystem
[which] ensures that thoughts, choices and mental experiences remain free from
corporate or governmental influence.”
Oxley is also
wary of the rise of “a singular model of intelligence, perception or cognition”
that could promote tiered class systems, the rise of a “cognitive elite”, or
deepen social inequalities.
“Cognitive
diversity, much like neurodiversity, must be protected and upheld,” he says.
“This includes addressing cultural discrimination between users and non-users
of neurotechnology, particularly as enhancements become more widespread. Access
to neurotechnologies must be democratised, ensuring that enhancements do not
become a tool of exclusion but a potential means of empowerment for all.
“BCIs will
either empower individuals or risk becoming tools of control. By prioritising
human flourishing, cognitive sovereignty and cognitive pluralism, we can help
ensure they enhance autonomy and creativity. There is much work ahead,” Oxley
says.
That work
must begin, says Farahany, with a worldwide collective effort to reshape
core notions of liberty for the modern age.
“Having an AI
that auto-completes our thoughts, that changes the way we express ourselves,
changes our understanding of ourselves as well,” she says. “The systems that
are sitting at the interface between this merger of AI and BCIs don’t have our
empathy, don’t have our history, don’t have our cultural context and don’t have
our brains, which have been built to be social and in relation to each other.
And so I worry very much about how much of what it means to be human will
remain as we go forward in this space.
“How much of
what it means to be human will remain is up to us, and how we design the
technology and the safeguards that we put into place to really focus on
enhancing and enabling human self determination. But I think that unless we’re
thoughtful, that isn’t an inevitable outcome. When our private inner sphere
becomes just as transparent as everything else about us, you know, will we
simply become the Instagram versions of ourselves?”
Oxley remains
confident that we can keep the radical advancements that he is facilitating in
check. “I think that if you look back at history, humanity has been through
multiple periods of revolution and there was always this fear that things were
about to go downhill, and they didn’t,” he says. “I think we stand on the
precipice of the potential to expand the human experience in an incredibly
powerful way. The thing that I’m most excited about with this technology is
that it could help us overcome a lot of pain and suffering, and especially the
human challenge of expressing our own experience. I think BCIs will ultimately
enhance what it means to be human.”
Here is the link:
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/the-brain-implant-revolution-is-here-why-is-its-inventor-tom-oxley-terrified/news-story/aa71edf8b3adc0ab971b0afbe352da5a
This is an optimistic take, I suspect, on where progress is just now! I fear where we are headed is rather unplanned and vulnerable to being led down all sorts of paths that may lead to very negative outcomes.
I suspect what to do with, and how to safely regulate, these advances is this is well above the paygrade and capabilities of most global and Australian regulators, which has to be a pretty worrying situation!
Just how such advances should be regulated and how that can be done is a question I do not see any clear answers on right now and I suspect most of Government is totally clueless as to what to do nest, if they even realise there might be a problem!
I look forward to some useful comments and suggestions! In the meantime I would avoid wiring to many brains with plugs etc.
David
