If we think about the future, we most likely imagine a completely technological and virtual world mixed with transhumanism. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, so much so that a person with paralysis has already managed to write the first tweet with their mind. And we\'re talking about the present. Last December 23rd, 62-year-old Philip O’Keefe, a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), became the first person to publish a message through thought and post it on social media, specifically on Twitter. This technological achievement was made possible by a device called Stendrode Brain Computer Interface (SBCI), which is installed as an endovascular brain implant. Through the interface, Philip was able to compose the message simply by thinking about the words and actions. The message published by O’Keefe appeared on the account of Thomas Oxley, CEO of Synchron, the company responsible for developing this revolutionary technology. “Hello world! Short tweet. Monumental progress,” he wrote.

hello, world! Short tweet. Monumental progress.

— Thomas Oxley (@tomoxl) December 23, 2021
The SBCI was implanted in the user\'s brain without necessarily opening the skull, but rather by inserting a device through their jugular vein. This device measures 8 mm and has been designed so that people can communicate using only their thoughts. The techniques of this method have been researched for years to treat people with stroke. This cutting-edge technological advancement in science could mean a major change in the world and, in particular, a great help to people who are unable to communicate. However, it also poses a risk to technology companies that have already publicly expressed their desire to use freely available neural data to target advertising to their desired users in the future.