Brain activity

Thanks to AI: progress in reading thoughts via EEG

An EEG maps the electrical activity of the brain.(Bild: romaset/stock.adobe.com)

Reading thoughts using an electroencephalogram (EEG) is making progress, according to experts. According to neuroscientist Gyula Kovács from the University of Jena, artificial intelligence is responsible for this.

The content of thoughts cannot be determined using conventional methods, either with an EEG or with other measurements of brain activity, said Kovács. However, the development of state-of-the-art technologies and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) make this possible, at least to a limited extent.

AI is "the most important development in the last few years for the analysis of EEG data", he continued. This makes it possible to visualize certain parts of consciousness. "That was absolutely not possible before."

For example, it is possible to track whether someone has seen a series or not, or whether someone recognizes a person. This raises the ethical question of how far technology should be used at all.

Recognizing lies
EEG expert Jan Rémi, head of the Epilepsy Center Munich, also said: "We are still a long way from mind reading. But I do believe that in the next few years we will be able to recognize whether someone is lying or not." EEG signals, with their hundreds and thousands of waves, offer countless analysis possibilities that could be better evaluated in the future with the help of AI.

An EEG maps the electrical activity of the brain. The first recording was made by psychiatrist Hans Berger 100 years ago - on July 6, 1924 - in Jena. Prior to this, similar recordings had already been made in animals.