From brainwaves to breakthroughs: The future with brain-machine interfaces

Summary

This discussion centers on the development of adaptive brain-computer interface technology that allows machines to adapt to users rather than forcing users to adapt to machines. Olivier Oullier, a researcher combining neuroscience and data science, presents his work on creating systems that understand individual users through brain data, facial expressions, eye tracking, and other physiological signals. The conversation highlights a groundbreaking achievement where Rodrigo Hubner Mendes became the first person to mind-control a real Formula 1 car on a racetrack using a neurotech headset that converted his brain waves into driving commands through AI. This demonstration caught the attention of Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, who challenged Rodrigo to a mind-controlled race.

The technology was further developed for social impact, enabling Nathalie to become the first Olympic torchbearer using mind-control technology during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Unlike Rodrigo, Nathalie has cognitive impairments, so the team adapted the system to work with her brain waves, heartbeat, and facial expressions combined. The technology has expanded beyond assistive applications to benefit various fields, including helping dental surgeons and orthopedic surgeons monitor their stress and cognitive load during lengthy procedures.

The speakers emphasize that inclusive technology ultimately benefits everyone, drawing parallels to how the TV remote control was originally designed for people with disabilities but became universally adopted. To scale their impact, they announce making their brain-computer interface code open source and launch the first brain wave donation campaign, encouraging people to contribute their brain data while maintaining ownership and control over how it’s used for social good projects.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **Adaptive Technology Philosophy**: The core concept that machines should adapt to humans rather than humans constantly adapting to machines, using brain-computer interfaces and multi-modal sensing (brain waves, facial expressions, eye tracking, heartbeat) to create more inclusive technology

– **Breakthrough Demonstrations**: Real-world applications including Rodrigo becoming the first person to mind-control a Formula 1 car on a real racetrack, leading to a challenge with Lewis Hamilton, and Olympic torchbearers using brain-computer interfaces to control exoskeleton arms during the Paris 2024 Olympics

– **Inclusive Technology Development**: Creating non-invasive brain-computer interfaces that benefit people with disabilities while ultimately serving everyone, similar to how the TV remote control was originally designed for people with disabilities but became universally adopted

– **Open Source Initiative and Data Sharing**: The live announcement of making their brain-computer interface code open source and launching the first-ever brain wave donation campaign to build a large, open-source database for social impact while maintaining user data ownership

– **Scaling for Social Impact**: The mission to provide quality education and employment access for people with disabilities by making assistive technology affordable and widely available, with applications expanding to various fields like surgery and dental care

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion aims to demonstrate how brain-computer interface technology can create a more inclusive world by developing adaptive machines that understand human uniqueness, while announcing concrete steps to scale this technology through open-source sharing and collaborative data collection.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone is consistently inspirational and optimistic throughout, characterized by enthusiasm for technological possibilities and social impact. The speakers maintain an upbeat, collaborative atmosphere with moments of humor and personal anecdotes, building toward an exciting crescendo with the live open-source announcement and call to action for brain wave donations. The tone never shifts to become pessimistic or cautionary, remaining focused on positive transformation and collective action.

Speakers

– **Olivier Oullier**: Data scientist, neuroscientist, and behavioral scientist who combines these fields to build adaptive systems. He is the president of a company developing brain-computer interfaces and co-founder of Inclusive Brains.

– **Rodrigo Hubner Mendes**: The first person to mind-control a real Formula 1 car on a racetrack using brain-computer interface technology. He was an Olympic torchbearer at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and works on providing quality education to children with disabilities. He has a background in sports, having played soccer and competed in rowing.

– **Video**: Referenced content showing demonstrations of the brain-computer interface technology, including Rodrigo driving the Formula 1 car.

**Additional speakers:**

– **Paul Barbast**: Co-founder of Inclusive Brains and Alliance Trade, who developed the brain-computer interface technology alongside Olivier. He demonstrated writing tweets and parliamentary amendments using brain-computer interfaces.

– **Lewis Hamilton**: Formula 1 legend who was challenged by Rodrigo to a mind-control race.

# Comprehensive Discussion Report: Adaptive Brain-Computer Interface Technology for Inclusive Innovation

## Executive Summary

This discussion at the AI for Good summit featured groundbreaking developments in adaptive brain-computer interface technology, with presentations from leading researchers who have achieved remarkable real-world demonstrations of mind-controlled devices. The conversation explored a fundamental paradigm shift where machines adapt to users rather than forcing users to adapt to machines. The speakers presented compelling evidence through breakthrough demonstrations, including the first mind-controlled Formula 1 car and Olympic torch applications, while announcing significant open-source initiatives to democratize access to this transformative technology.

## Key Participants and Their Contributions

**Olivier Oullier**, a data scientist, neuroscientist, and behavioral scientist, served as the primary presenter, articulating the philosophical foundation of adaptive technology and announcing major open-source initiatives. His company develops brain-computer interfaces, and he co-founded Inclusive Brains to advance assistive technology applications.

**Rodrigo Hubner Mendes** provided compelling personal testimony as the first person to mind-control a real Formula 1 car on a racetrack using brain-computer interface technology. As an Olympic torchbearer at the Rio Olympics in 2016, he brought unique perspective on both athletic achievement and assistive technology applications. His background includes sports at a German school, playing soccer and rowing, and competing in the League of States before working extensively on providing quality education to children with disabilities.

**Paul Barbast**, co-founder of Inclusive Brains, demonstrated practical applications of the technology, including writing tweets using brain-computer interfaces, showcasing the platform’s versatility.

The discussion also referenced **Lewis Hamilton**, the Formula 1 legend who was challenged to a mind-control race during a conference in Dubai, adding competitive excitement to the technological demonstration.

## Foundational Philosophy: Machines Adapting to Humans

The discussion opened with Oullier’s provocative observation: “We spend our days adapting to the machines we bought. Whether it’s our phones, tablets, workstations, connected environments, we always have, as individuals, this effort to make, to learn how it works, and to adapt to it. I think it should be the other way around.”

This philosophical foundation established the framework for the entire discussion. Rather than accepting the status quo where humans must constantly learn and adapt to new technologies, the speakers advocated for developing machines that understand and adapt to human uniqueness. This approach utilizes multiple data streams including brain waves, facial expressions, eye tracking, and other physiological signals to create truly personalized human-machine interfaces.

## Breakthrough Demonstrations and Real-World Applications

### Formula 1 Mind-Control Achievement

The most striking demonstration involved Rodrigo becoming the first person ever to mind-control a real Formula 1 car on a racetrack. This achievement utilized a neurotech headset that captured brain waves and converted them into driving commands through artificial intelligence. Despite initial fear, Rodrigo successfully completed the demonstration on an actual racetrack with a genuine Formula 1 vehicle.

This breakthrough caught the attention of Lewis Hamilton, who challenged Rodrigo to a mind-controlled race during a hotel conference in Dubai. The speakers indicated that this race would take place using improved AI technology.

### Olympic Applications and Adaptive Technology

The technology’s versatility was demonstrated through Olympic applications during Paris 2024, where it enabled torchbearers to use mind-control technology. The system was adapted for Nathalie, who has cognitive impairments, demonstrating the technology’s ability to accommodate different types of disabilities. Additionally, Nathalie’s brother Denis, who has autism, wore earbuds to monitor stress during the Olympic event.

Unlike Rodrigo’s application, which relied primarily on brain wave detection, Nathalie’s system incorporated multiple physiological signals including brain waves, heartbeat, and facial expressions. This multi-modal approach exemplified the adaptive philosophy, where technology was modified to work with individual capabilities. The Région Sud offered the Olympic slot in Marseille for this demonstration.

### Professional Applications

The speakers highlighted applications for monitoring stress and cognitive load for surgeons during lengthy procedures. As Oullier noted, “Sometimes you don’t feel stressed but your body is stressed and this is what the technology and AI are bringing the ability to materialize to see the invisible.”

## Inclusive Technology Development and Universal Benefits

A central theme was that technology developed for people with disabilities ultimately benefits everyone. The speakers drew parallels to the television remote control, which was originally designed for people with disabilities but became universally adopted due to its convenience and functionality.

Oullier articulated this principle: “We start by developing technologies for people with disabilities. But ultimately inclusive technology is technology that benefits everybody with zero discrimination whatsoever.” This perspective reframes assistive technology development as cutting-edge innovation that drives broader technological advancement.

The speakers emphasized their focus on non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, which offer accessible alternatives to surgical implants. Mendes specifically contrasted their helmet-based electrode system with approaches requiring surgical intervention, highlighting the reduced barriers to adoption and lower risk profile of non-invasive solutions.

## Open Source Initiative and Democratization Efforts

One of the most significant announcements was the decision to make their brain-computer interface code open source. Oullier announced this initiative during the presentation: “We are open-sourcing the brain-computer interface code to enable global collaboration and improvement.”

### Brain Wave Donation Campaign

Alongside the open-source code release, the speakers launched the first-ever brain wave donation campaign through brain.org. This initiative aims to build the largest open-source database of brain waves for social impact projects while maintaining user data ownership and control.

Oullier emphasized the ethical framework: “We want you Brain wave donors to stay owners of your data. You don’t give them away. You keep the power to say yes or no to contribute to a given project.” This model allows contributors to maintain agency over their data while supporting collective research efforts for social good.

## Key Areas of Consensus

The discussion demonstrated high levels of consensus among speakers on both technical and philosophical dimensions:

– **Technical Capabilities**: All speakers agreed that brain-computer interface technology can successfully translate brain signals into actionable device commands, supported by concrete demonstrations.

– **Inclusive Design Philosophy**: Unanimous agreement on the importance of inclusive technology development that prioritizes the needs of people with disabilities while benefiting everyone.

– **Non-Invasive Approaches**: Both primary speakers advocated for non-invasive brain-computer interface solutions based on accessibility, cost, and user acceptance considerations.

– **Democratization**: Complete alignment on the need to democratize access through open-source development and affordable solutions.

## Thought-Provoking Insights

Several comments challenged conventional thinking:

– The paradigm shift from humans adapting to machines to machines adapting to humans reframed the entire conversation about human-technology interaction.

– The observation that technology can reveal unconscious stress responses opened new possibilities for health monitoring and performance optimization.

– The concept of brain wave donation while maintaining data ownership presented an alternative to current data extraction models employed by major technology companies.

## Future Implications

The discussion revealed significant implications for future development:

– The commitment to open-source development represents a departure from traditional proprietary approaches, potentially accelerating development while ensuring broader access.

– The emphasis on inclusive design suggests that assistive technology development could become a primary driver of mainstream technological innovation.

– The multi-modal approach to human-machine interfaces points toward more sophisticated and personalized technology interactions across all domains.

– The brain wave donation campaign introduces a new model for ethical data collection that could influence broader discussions about data rights and privacy.

## Conclusion

This discussion presented a compelling vision for the future of human-technology interaction, grounded in concrete achievements and supported by clear commitments to open collaboration and social impact. The speakers demonstrated remarkable consensus on both technical capabilities and ethical frameworks, suggesting a mature approach to developing transformative technology.

The combination of breakthrough demonstrations, philosophical insights, and practical commitments to democratization creates a comprehensive framework for advancing brain-computer interface technology in ways that prioritize human dignity, inclusion, and collective benefit. The announcement of open-source initiatives and brain wave donation campaigns provides concrete mechanisms for translating these ideals into practical action.

The collaborative approach advocated by the speakers suggests that continued development will benefit from broad participation and diverse perspectives from the global community of researchers, developers, and users, ultimately advancing technology that truly serves humanity’s diverse needs.

Olivier Oullier: We spend our days adapting to the machines we bought. Whether it’s our phones, tablets, workstations, connected environments, we always have, as individuals, this effort to make, to learn how it works, and to adapt to it. I think it should be the other way around. My name is Olivier, and for the past decades, I’ve been combining data science, neuroscience, behavioral science, in order to build systems that can adapt to their users. Combining brain data, facial expressions, eye tracking, heartbeat, neurophysiology, movement, in order to make sure that what makes each of us unique is understood by machines. And, trust me, if we start building more adaptive machines, we are going to change the world, make it more inclusive, and we’ll be able to see extraordinary things. You don’t have to take my word for it. Let me show you something that is a truly adaptive machine. Formula 1 was a big part of my childhood. The races on Sundays, the great drivers, all that excitement.

Video: And now I’m here, getting ready to drive a race car. Wow, you’re kidding me. Look at that! Look at the size of the car! Wow! Look at the size! This helmet is your steering wheel. It captures your brain waves and translates them into commands for the direction of the car. Right, left. Speed up. Wow! Are you ready, Rodrigo? Are you serious? Wow! Congratulations, Rodrigo! You’re the first person to drive a race car with your mind. What will put people in equal conditions is respect for differences. It’s your attitude.

Olivier Oullier: Congratulations, Rodrigo! My dear friend, Rodrigo Bnemendes. The very first person ever to mind control a real Formula 1 car on a real racetrack. That was not a simulation. Hi, Rodrigo.

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes: Hello, everybody. How did that happen? Well, I was sitting in this race car using a Neurotech headset. And thanks to AI, my brain waves were converted into commands for the car. So, I could accelerate, turn right and turn left. How did it feel? To be honest, I never felt so much fear in my life. But at the end, I could control the car. And it was extraordinary what that team did.

Olivier Oullier: Yeah, right. It’s a collective effort. And beyond mind controlling the Formula 1, a lot of people heard about it, including Sir Lewis Hamilton. The Formula 1 legend that you met, right?

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes: Yes. I went to Dubai to make a speech in a conference. And by coincidence, Lewis was at the same hotel. So, we could beat him. Well, you had a very special interaction with him. And better than me telling you the interaction, let’s have a look at it. I’d like to invite you to race against me. Please choose the track, okay?

Olivier Oullier: Whenever you want, I’ll be there. The technology that you’re using, could I use that technology? Can we fight with our minds? Olivier is the president of the company. So, he can arrange that for you. But as you want. Listen, it has to be the same car and the same gear. So, it will be mind control against mind control. Perfect. Sounds good? Do we have a deal here? Thanks a lot. No, thank you so much. Thank you. This is truly Rodrigo in action. He meets one of the best drivers in history in Formula 1 and just challenged him. What is really interesting is that Lewis had heard about Rodrigo’s performance. And of course, him being such a competitor, he accepted Rodrigo’s challenge. Yeah, the opportunity was so good. So, during that press conference, I broke the ice and kidding, I just challenged him for this race. And we are going to organize that, I believe.

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes: So, yeah, what’s the latest update on this? Well… Any message to Lewis? Hi, Lewis. Now AI is even better, so let’s make this race happen. Yeah, you’re ready, right? Yeah. And, you know, this experience with Formula 1 was amazing. But our goal was not to make fun. Our goal is to explore that as a bridge to generate impact in scale. Absolutely. And you’re a competitor too. You love sports. Yeah, I studied in a German school that offered us the opportunity to learn and practice all kinds of sports. And I was passionate about soccer. I used to play in the official team of the school and of my club. Later, I became a rower and I competed in the League of the States. So, sports is fundamental in my journey. And you were selected to be an Olympic torchbearer at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Olivier Oullier: How was that day? You look so happy, my friend. Yes, I enjoyed that a lot. So, the energy of the people, the symbol of the flame. So, it was magical. I remember that conversation we had with you, with Paul Barbas, with whom I co-founded Inclusive Brains. And as the Paris 2024 Olympics were around the corner, we thought that we could use the technology in order to bring the same kind of smile to someone’s experience, you know? And learn from you. And this is why you and Paul created Prometheus, right? Yes. So, what we created in partnership with Alliance Trade is a brain-computer interface that would operate an exoskeleton arm to allow Nathalie, that you see in this picture with her twin brother, Denis, to control the exoskeleton arm and become the first person ever to be an Olympic torchbearer with mind-control technology. We had a slot offered to us by Région Sud, and in my very town of Marseille, my hometown of Marseille, she did it. And in order to do it, we had to adapt the technology to Nathalie. Because unlike you, Nathalie cannot use all the attention, her brain, she has cognitive impairment, so she’s a bit different than you.

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes: Because she’s French.

Olivier Oullier: Well, that’s her competitive advantage. It’s her competitive advantage, but we had to… See what I had to deal with? Seriously. But she cannot focus the way you do. So, with Paul, we had to develop and adapt the technology to what she can do, and she could use a combination of her brain waves and facial expressions. So what you see is how Nathalie is able to lift the exoskeleton arm by combining her brain waves, heartbeat, and facial expressions. And you see it’s not automatic, it takes time, but at the end of the day, she managed to do it. Yeah, she did it. And it’s remarkable what she achieved. Look at that. Again, another beautiful smile with the Olympic torch. The first ever Olympic torch bearer, thanks to mind control technology. You can see Nathalie, her brother. It was an incredible day for us. But then, we replicated the experience a few months later with Pierre in Versailles, France. And Pierre, unlike Nathalie, has no cognitive impairment, so he could use the technology, and we improved the technology in two months. As you can see, he did not only use the brain-computer interface to hold the Olympic torch, he also used it to make a video. To have a rock star behavior and wave at the tens of thousands of people who were around Yeah, that’s that’s very good. But I believe you you can do other things with this technology We can do other things indeed Last year from this very stage of AI for good summit Thanks to our friends at ITU who invited us to speak about what we did at the Olympics my co-founder Paul Barbast that you see here used Our technology in order to write a tweet upload a picture of Nathalie and Send that tweet to no other than President Macron And he applied to congratulate you guys. So you should have sent it to Elon Musk to actually Actually a few months before Elon and his team at Neuralink did the very first tweet mind written but with electrodes that Required neurosurgery. What we do is called non-invasive brain computer interfaces. It does not require any Surgery and it’s not one better than the other We do need both technologies to coexist and sometimes at the same time in order to help as many people as possible Yeah, and that’s different from what we are talking about because I did not have surgery that there were no implants. So Just electrodes in my helmet. Absolutely. And again, we need both technologies to advance We also use the technology at the AI Action summit in Paris and you see Paul again hands-off without touching a keyboard without talking finalizing the first parliamentary amendments with a brain computer interface and submitting it to the president of a French Parliament and What happened? Well that what happened is that it drew more attention and It was a way for us not only to raise attention to the importance of combining AI technologies AI systems with Brain computer interfaces, but also the moment for us to move to a next phase Yeah, but we are here to think about impact about positive impact. So

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes: That’s why we work for and in my case We want all the people that are isolated from society because of impairments can have access to education and employment and We need to scale the technology Yeah, yeah and make it affordable. Yes scaling it making it affordable Because we want a lot of people to have access to it Yeah, so Coming back to our work our purpose Is to provide quality education to children with disabilities and therefore we we invest in research teacher training and public policies in many in many regions Yeah, and there are always stories within the stories at the Olympic torch relay

Olivier Oullier: We found out a few days before and I’m sharing this information with you because he shared it publicly the knee Natalie’s brother has autism and He’s afraid of crowds so what you see him wearing our earbuds that allowed us to monitor in real time his stress and To be able to distract him when he was stressed and that helped him achieve a performance. So what we learned with The technology the assistive technology that we built can expand and benefit a lot of people The benchmark for us is the remote control the remote control was invented for people with disabilities to be able to switch the TV Channels and then it was adopted by billions of people and changed literally the way each and every one of us are interacting with technology and Today the new remotes or apps to control Connected environments, that’s super important But but I believe that the technology you develop is for everyone. Yeah, it’s for everyone. For instance what we learned In order to when we develop the multi-modal human machine interfaces is now being used in order to help Dental surgeons and their patients monitoring stress and performance. It’s being used in this very surgery room In Abu Dhabi at the International knee and joint Center with professor Sebastian part one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the world that is equipped with a brain sensing technology and during surgeries that last hours and hours and you know that Come one after the other he can have feedback in real time on his level of stress on his level of attention and of cognitive load and Sometimes you don’t feel stressed but your body is stressed and this is what the technology and AI are bringing the ability to materialize to see the invisible this is why We’re so happy to be working on this technology. We start by developing technologies for people with disabilities But ultimately inclusive technology is technology that benefits everybody with zero discrimination whatsoever Okay, so back to the mission. What are your plans now in order to scale this solution? Yeah, we need to scale the solution and I think one of the things we need to do is to share what we’ve done With as many people as possible and from the very beginning with Alliance trade We agreed that we would develop from it is BCI and we would share the code Make it open source so that people can use it And improve it and improve it but You know what we’re gonna make it open source right now, but we wouldn’t do it without my co-founder Paul Barbast, so Time to welcome Paul, right? Okay. Let’s go Paul to the stage. Okay a warm. Welcome to Paul Hi everyone You’re good Paul. No jiggles for me. Yeah. No, no, no music you’re here okay, so the way it works is we’ve been working for years on developing these algorithms and What Paul is doing is that right now symbolically from this stage of AI for good is going to Switch from the code being private to the code being shared with the world Okay, let’s do it. Let’s do it. Okay, let’s come on. Go ahead for three to one go That’s it, that’s it fluid and open source can’t hear So now All of you out there engineers students innovators Please use our code improve it and create inclusive assistive technology That can benefit so many people but this is only step one Yeah, there’s always other things to do. So what is what’s the next step? Well, we’re facing a hurdle and like other types of technologies that are AI powered where you can buy databases In order to scale your product the database that we need does not exist a large open source database Yes, but it’s not just us a lot of people working on AI power assistive technologies are in such need of such a data set So we need your help. We need all of you and we need your brains to help us Actually, we need more than your brains. It’s not just a collective effort. We need your brain waves today from this stage at AI for good We’re launching the very first brain wave donation campaign With brain org We encourage all of you to provide this unlimited supply that you have of brain waves for social good We are building an international coalition that will help build the biggest open source Database of brain waves to be used for social impact What we want to achieve is not only More data to train the inclusive AI we want you Brain wave donors to stay owners of your data. You don’t give them away You keep the power to say yes or no to contribute to a given project You might not like a project that we would offer you you say I don’t want my brain waves to be used and then For example, if you’re a fan of formula one You would want to contribute your brain waves in order to help Rodrigo beat Lewis Hamilton because at the end of the day he’s gonna win so It’s privacy by design. It’s data ownership by design and above all what we want is To be able to provide as many researchers innovators Entrepreneurs and geeks like us With the data they need in order to create More inclusive technology more inclusive AI so that there are more Rodrigo’s more mind control formula ones flight whatever happens. We need your support. Please donate your brain waves Thank you so much Thank you so much, it’s absolutely breath so his breathtaking isn’t it it’s the sort of session that just

Agreement points

Brain-computer interfaces can successfully translate brain waves into device control commands

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Technology combining brain data, facial expressions, eye tracking, and neurophysiology can make machines understand human uniqueness

Brain-computer interfaces can translate brain waves into commands for controlling devices like race cars

Summary

Both speakers agree that brain-computer interface technology can effectively capture and translate human brain signals into actionable commands for controlling various devices, from race cars to assistive equipment

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Technology should be inclusive and benefit people with disabilities

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes
– Video

Arguments

Technology must be adapted to individual capabilities, such as for users with cognitive impairments

Goal is to provide access to education and employment for people isolated from society due to impairments

Respect for differences and attitude create equal conditions for people with disabilities

Summary

All speakers emphasize that technology development should prioritize inclusivity and specifically address the needs of people with disabilities to provide equal opportunities and access

Topics

Development | Human rights | Sociocultural

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces are valuable alternatives to surgical approaches

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Technology combining brain data, facial expressions, eye tracking, and neurophysiology can make machines understand human uniqueness

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces offer alternatives to surgical implants for assistive technology

Summary

Both speakers advocate for non-invasive brain-computer interface solutions that don’t require surgery, while acknowledging that both invasive and non-invasive technologies have their place

Topics

Development | Human rights | Infrastructure

Technology developed for disabilities can benefit everyone universally

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Technology can benefit everyone, similar to how remote controls invented for disabilities became universal

Making technology affordable and accessible to many people is essential for impact

Summary

Both speakers agree that assistive technologies originally developed for people with disabilities often become beneficial for the general population, emphasizing the universal value of inclusive design

Topics

Development | Sociocultural | Human rights

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers believe in democratizing access to brain-computer interface technology through open-source approaches and affordable solutions to maximize social impact

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Open-sourcing the brain-computer interface code to enable global collaboration and improvement

Making technology affordable and accessible to many people is essential for impact

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Both speakers see the technology as having broad applications beyond disability assistance, extending to professional contexts and general societal benefit

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Multi-modal interfaces can help monitor and manage stress in various professional contexts

Goal is to provide access to education and employment for people isolated from society due to impairments

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Sociocultural

Unexpected consensus

Open-sourcing proprietary brain-computer interface technology

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Open-sourcing the brain-computer interface code to enable global collaboration and improvement

Making technology affordable and accessible to many people is essential for impact

Explanation

It’s unexpected that researchers would immediately open-source their proprietary brain-computer interface technology, especially given the commercial potential. This demonstrates strong commitment to social impact over profit

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Brain wave donation campaign for building open-source databases

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Launching brain wave donation campaign to build largest open-source database for social impact

Making technology affordable and accessible to many people is essential for impact

Explanation

The concept of donating brain waves while maintaining data ownership is innovative and unexpected, representing a new model for collaborative AI development that prioritizes privacy and user control

Topics

Development | Human rights | Legal and regulatory

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrate remarkable consensus across all major discussion points, from technical capabilities of brain-computer interfaces to philosophical approaches about inclusive technology design. They share unified views on democratizing access, open-source development, and the universal benefits of assistive technology.

Consensus level

Very high level of consensus with strong alignment on both technical and ethical dimensions. This unified approach has significant implications for accelerating development and adoption of brain-computer interface technology for social good, particularly in creating more inclusive and accessible solutions for people with disabilities.

Different viewpoints

Invasive vs Non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface Approaches

Speakers

– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes
– Olivier Oullier

Arguments

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces offer alternatives to surgical implants for assistive technology

Technology combining brain data, facial expressions, eye tracking, and neurophysiology can make machines understand human uniqueness

Summary

While both speakers acknowledge that invasive and non-invasive technologies should coexist, Mendes emphasizes the advantages of non-invasive approaches (no surgery required, just helmet electrodes) while Oullier focuses more broadly on multi-modal approaches without specifically advocating for one method over another. Mendes explicitly contrasts their approach with Neuralink’s surgical requirements.

Topics

Development | Human rights | Infrastructure

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion shows remarkably high alignment among speakers with minimal disagreement. The only notable difference is a subtle distinction in emphasis regarding invasive vs non-invasive brain-computer interface approaches.

Disagreement level

Very low level of disagreement. This is actually a collaborative presentation rather than a debate, with speakers building on each other’s points and working toward shared goals. The high level of agreement strengthens their collective message about the importance of inclusive, adaptive technology and suggests a unified vision for the future of brain-computer interfaces in assistive technology.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers believe in democratizing access to brain-computer interface technology through open-source approaches and affordable solutions to maximize social impact

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Open-sourcing the brain-computer interface code to enable global collaboration and improvement

Making technology affordable and accessible to many people is essential for impact

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Both speakers see the technology as having broad applications beyond disability assistance, extending to professional contexts and general societal benefit

Speakers

– Olivier Oullier
– Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Arguments

Multi-modal interfaces can help monitor and manage stress in various professional contexts

Goal is to provide access to education and employment for people isolated from society due to impairments

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Sociocultural

Key takeaways

Technology should adapt to humans rather than humans adapting to technology, using brain data, facial expressions, and neurophysiology to understand individual uniqueness

Brain-computer interfaces can successfully control real-world devices, demonstrated by the first mind-controlled Formula 1 car and Olympic torch bearing with exoskeleton arms

Inclusive technology designed for people with disabilities ultimately benefits everyone, similar to how remote controls became universally adopted

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces offer accessible alternatives to surgical implants for assistive technology

Real-time monitoring of stress and cognitive load through brain-sensing technology has applications across various professional fields including surgery

Open-source collaboration and data sharing are essential for scaling brain-computer interface technology for social impact

Resolutions and action items

Open-source the brain-computer interface code immediately from the AI for Good summit stage to enable global collaboration

Launch the first brain wave donation campaign with brain.org to build the largest open-source database of brain waves

Build an international coalition to support the brain wave database for social impact projects

Organize the mind-control race between Rodrigo and Lewis Hamilton using improved AI technology

Scale and make the technology affordable to provide access to education and employment for people with disabilities

Encourage engineers, students, and innovators to use, improve, and create inclusive assistive technology with the open-source code

Unresolved issues

The specific timeline and logistics for the Lewis Hamilton vs Rodrigo mind-control race remain unclear

How to ensure privacy by design and data ownership in the brain wave donation campaign needs detailed implementation

The technical challenges of scaling non-invasive brain-computer interfaces for mass adoption are not fully addressed

Funding mechanisms and business models for making the technology affordable and accessible globally are not specified

Regulatory and ethical frameworks for brain wave data collection and usage are not discussed in detail

Suggested compromises

Developing both invasive and non-invasive brain-computer interface technologies to coexist and serve different user needs rather than competing approaches

Allowing brain wave donors to maintain ownership and control over their data while contributing to collective research efforts

Balancing open-source collaboration with the need for sustainable business models to fund continued development

We spend our days adapting to the machines we bought. Whether it’s our phones, tablets, workstations, connected environments, we always have, as individuals, this effort to make, to learn how it works, and to adapt to it. I think it should be the other way around.

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Reason

This opening statement fundamentally challenges the current paradigm of human-technology interaction. It reframes the entire discussion by questioning why humans should constantly adapt to machines rather than machines adapting to humans. This philosophical shift from human accommodation to machine adaptation sets up a powerful counter-narrative to accepted technological norms.

Impact

This comment establishes the foundational premise for the entire presentation. It shifts the conversation from typical tech demonstrations to a deeper philosophical discussion about inclusive design and human-centered technology. Everything that follows – the Formula 1 demonstration, the Olympic torch examples – serves as evidence supporting this initial paradigm shift.

What will put people in equal conditions is respect for differences. It’s your attitude.

Speaker

Video narrator/participant

Reason

This brief but profound statement redefines equality not as treating everyone the same, but as respecting and accommodating differences. It challenges the traditional notion of equality and introduces the concept that true inclusion comes from acknowledging and working with human diversity rather than expecting conformity.

Impact

This comment serves as a philosophical bridge between the technical demonstration and the broader social implications. It elevates the discussion from a showcase of cool technology to a conversation about social justice and inclusion, setting up the subsequent examples of how the technology helps people with different abilities.

We start by developing technologies for people with disabilities. But ultimately inclusive technology is technology that benefits everybody with zero discrimination whatsoever.

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Reason

This insight reveals the ‘curb-cut effect’ in technology – how designing for accessibility ultimately benefits everyone. It challenges the misconception that assistive technology is niche, instead positioning it as universally beneficial innovation. The comment reframes disability-focused design as mainstream innovation strategy.

Impact

This comment fundamentally shifts the conversation from viewing assistive technology as specialized charity work to recognizing it as cutting-edge innovation that drives broader technological advancement. It leads directly into examples of how their brain-computer interface technology is being used in dental surgery and other mainstream applications.

Sometimes you don’t feel stressed but your body is stressed and this is what the technology and AI are bringing the ability to materialize to see the invisible.

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Reason

This observation highlights a profound capability of AI-enhanced biometric monitoring – revealing unconscious physiological states. It suggests that technology can provide self-awareness that humans naturally lack, opening up new possibilities for health, performance, and well-being that go beyond conscious perception.

Impact

This comment expands the discussion beyond assistive technology for disabilities to broader applications in healthcare and human performance optimization. It introduces the concept of technology as a tool for enhanced self-awareness and leads to the discussion of real-world applications in surgical settings.

We need your brain waves… We want you Brain wave donors to stay owners of your data. You don’t give them away. You keep the power to say yes or no to contribute to a given project.

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Reason

This proposal introduces a revolutionary model for data ownership and sharing that directly challenges current big tech practices. By proposing that people retain ownership and control over their biometric data while still contributing to collective good, it presents an alternative to the typical data extraction model.

Impact

This comment transforms the presentation from a technology showcase into a call for collective action with a new ethical framework. It shifts the conversation to data rights, privacy, and collaborative innovation, ending the discussion on a participatory note that empowers the audience to become active contributors rather than passive consumers.

Overall assessment

These key comments collectively transformed what could have been a straightforward technology demonstration into a profound discussion about human-centered design, social inclusion, and ethical data practices. The opening paradigm shift established a philosophical foundation that reframed all subsequent examples as evidence of a new approach to human-technology interaction. The progression from individual empowerment (Formula 1, Olympic torch) to universal benefit (surgical applications) to collective action (brain wave donation) created a compelling narrative arc that elevated the technical achievements to broader social and ethical significance. The speakers successfully used specific, emotionally resonant examples to support abstract philosophical concepts, making complex ideas about inclusion and technology accessible and actionable for the audience.

When will the mind-control race between Rodrigo and Lewis Hamilton take place?

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Explanation

This was a challenge made by Rodrigo to Lewis Hamilton, and while both parties agreed, the actual scheduling and organization of this race remains unresolved

How can the brain-computer interface technology be scaled to reach more people with disabilities?

Speaker

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Explanation

This is crucial for achieving the mission of providing access to education and employment for people with disabilities on a global scale

How can the technology be made more affordable for widespread adoption?

Speaker

Rodrigo Hubner Mendes

Explanation

Cost reduction is essential for making assistive technology accessible to those who need it most, particularly in underserved communities

How can a large open-source database of brain waves be created for training AI-powered assistive technologies?

Speaker

Olivier Oullier and Paul Barbast

Explanation

The lack of such databases is a major hurdle for scaling AI-powered assistive technologies, and this data is needed by researchers and innovators worldwide

How can privacy and data ownership be maintained while building collaborative brain wave databases?

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Explanation

This addresses the critical need to ensure that brain wave donors retain control over their data and can choose which projects to support

What other applications can be developed using multi-modal human-machine interfaces beyond the current medical and assistive uses?

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Explanation

The technology has shown promise in dental surgery and orthopedic surgery monitoring, suggesting potential for broader applications across various fields

How can the international coalition for brain wave donation be effectively organized and managed?

Speaker

Olivier Oullier

Explanation

Building a global coalition requires coordination, standardization, and governance structures to ensure effective collaboration and data sharing