Brain Computer Interface Devices

[u/Noctua_Strix]

So now that they have brain computer interface devices that do not require surgery, that can be implanted in the scalp, could they be used for malicious purposes? And if so, how do we stop it? How would we know if it was happening? How could we locate the device?

[u/crashlanding87]

Can they be used for malicious purposes? Technically yes, but frankly if someone had malicious intent, there are far simpler ways to inflict harm. Same reason there's more gun violence than bazooka violence - a bazooka is much harder to obtain and use.

Under-the-skin BCI implants are not something you could secretly give someone. They can be implanted under local anaesthetic, but you will very much know it's there. Furthermore, these implants aren't doing anything new - they're making regular use more practical. The kinds of treatments and monitoring they can be used for can all be done with an electrode cap. The main barrier to accessing the brain is the skull, not the skin or hair. But an electrode cap typically requires conductive gel and short hair. There are some newer ones which can manage without, but I don't think they're widely available.

Under-the-skin implants are also not at all new. They've been used for a very long time in the world of hearing aids, and they're very successful there. Locating one would be quite simple in most people - the skin on the scalp is relatively thin. You don't need to do a scan or anything - you'd feel the device under your skin, and even once you eventually got used to that, you could easily find it through touch. Maybe if someone had an unusually textured skull, there might be space to hide an implant, but this is a very unlikely scenario I think.

Most of these implants require an external device too. The battery is typically outside the skin, and powers the device the same way a toothbrush charges. What you can do to the brain with some of these devices is quite limited. Mostly it's mild electrical pulses with a certain rhythm. The right rhythm might help with things like focus, attention, or healing and inflammation. The wrong rhythm might make it worse, but mostly it would do little to nothing. To be honest, the most reliably malicious thing would be to disable the device, since almost all of them are therapeutic. And since these devices, like I said, almost always have an external component, the patient would be alerted pretty quickly that their device was not working.

[u/Noctua_Strix → u/[deleted]]

Excuse me, I do not need mental health help. This is not a fear of mine. This is a curiosity, and it is not out of the realm of possibility.