Neural Interfaces Could Soon Replace Touchscreens and Keyboards—But at What Cost to Human Autonomy?
In a groundbreaking move, Apple is advancing into brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, aiming to allow users to control iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro headsets through brain signals captured by neural implants. This innovation is especially promising for individuals with disabilities such as ALS or severe spinal cord injuries, offering new levels of device accessibility.
The unveiling of the Apple Vision Pro in 2023 was more than just a leap in immersive visual computing—it quietly revealed that Apple had been investing millions into research and development involving neurotechnology. Specifically, Apple appears focused on how the human brain and body interact with its hardware and software ecosystem.
Apple is collaborating with Synchron, a company known for developing a ‘stentrode’—a stent-like device implanted in a vein near the brain’s motor cortex that can decode neural signals and translate them into commands for external devices. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has worked with Synchron to establish a new standard for integrating this technology into its products.
While Apple initially markets these innovations as accessibility tools for individuals with severe physical impairments, the implications reach far beyond healthcare. As these technologies mature, the company could offer neural interfaces to the broader consumer market—integrating brain input as a native function of iOS, restricted to users of Apple hardware.
What remains unclear is how artificial intelligence (AI) will integrate with these neural systems. However, considering the explosive adoption of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, it is likely that AI will become embedded into the core functionality of BCI systems. This raises critical questions:
– Who controls the algorithms that interpret our thoughts?
– How is mental privacy safeguarded?
– Can thoughts be monitored, predicted, or even influenced by software?
At The Foundation for Bioethics in Technology, we emphasize the importance of neuro-rights, including the right to cognitive liberty, mental privacy, and protection against neural data exploitation. As companies like Apple move from concept to commercial application of brain implants, public dialogue and enforceable legal frameworks become not just important—but essential.
We encourage readers to explore the ethical landscape now, before these technologies become normalized.
Related Sources:
- Apple Moves Into The Brain Implant Business by Douglas A. McIntyre, 24/7 Wall Street, May 14, 2025
https://247wallst.com/technology-3/2025/05/14/apple-moves-into-the-brain-implant-business - Apple Works With Brain Interface Startup to Help Disabled iPhone Users by Aaron Tilley, The Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2025
https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-brain-computer-interface-9ec69919 - Apple Vision Pro is Getting BCI Support (YouTube Short) video
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FhMoRIZCDvg - Synchron’s Brain-Computer Interface Lets Patients Text by Thinking by Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, Jan 2022
https://spectrum.ieee.org/brain-computer-interface-synchron - How Apple’s Vision Pro Could Work With BCIs Like Synchron’s by Lance Whitney, TechRepublic, Feb 2024
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/apple-vision-pro-bci/
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.