SAN FRANSICO: The company behind the technical innovation revealed on Monday that a patient suffering from a degenerative disease was able to control Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant with just his thoughts, allowing him to watch content and operate equipment.

According to brain-computer interface manufacturer Synchron, the 64-year-old man was able to mentally “tap” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet thanks to an implant in a blood artery on the surface of his brain. According to the New York-based business, the patient, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was able to use his mind to tell Alexa to make video calls, play music, stream shows, manage smart home devices like lighting, shop online, and read books.

A degenerative neurological disease called ALS causes paralysis and muscle weakening. The patient, identified only as Mark, stated in a release, “To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing.” According to the business, the test was designed to demonstrate how users may operate Alexa-compatible smart home appliances like thermostats, door cameras, and outlets with just their thoughts.

Tom Oxley, the founder and CEO of Synchron, stated in the press announcement, “We are sending control signals directly from the brain, while many smart home systems rely on voice or touch.” “Patients can use only their thoughts to interact with hands-free, voice-free devices in their homes.”

A number of businesses, such as Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, are attempting to link computers and brains. A guy rendered paralysed following a diving accident had a brain implanted in January by Neuralink. The man behind Tesla and X, Elon Musk, hailed the implant as a triumph. He stated in July that as their technology advances, their startup is “moving on” to a second test subject.