You wouldn't need to type into a search engine,

你不需要在搜尋引擎上打字，

you could just think your query and download the relevant knowledge directly into your mind.

你只要想好你的問題，並將相關知識直接下載到你的腦海中。

Such a world would involve the biggest single upgrade in human intelligence since our species evolved.

自從我們的物種開始進化，這樣的世界參與人類智慧中最重要的單一提升。

Seamless brain computer interfaces are a long way off

完美的腦機介面還有一大段路要走，

but the melding of minds with machines is already under way.

但是大腦與機器的結合已經在進行中。

The implant goes directly into the motor control area of the brain.

植入物可以直接進入大腦的運動控制區域。

It's the neuro technology that we've been developing for years

這是我們多年來一直在開發的神經技術，

and it's designed to help restore or replace function or enhance independence for people who are paralyzed.

目的是在幫助恢復或取代功能，或是提高癱瘓患者的獨立性。

In a pioneering clinical trial at Brown University,

在布朗大學一項開創性的臨床實驗中，

volunteers have been given brain implants that allow them to control devices using thought alone.

志願者已經接受腦部植入，讓他們能夠只用想法來控制設備。

To date, this academic venture,

到目前為止，這個學術風險，

this pilot clinical trial that we call Braingate

我們稱這臨床試驗為「腦門感測器」，

has enrolled 13 participants

目前有 13 名受試者，

and each of those has had the sensor placed into the motor cortex and each of them has been able to control cursor movement on a screen.

在每人的運動皮層放上感測器，而且每個感測器都能夠控制螢幕上的遊標移動。

Some of them have even been able to control a prosthetic limb or a robotic limb moving through space to reach and grab objects.

他們有些人甚至能夠控制義肢或機器人的四肢，來穿過空間並伸手抓住物體。

The sensors detect the neural signals associated with the intent to move

感測器偵測與移動目的相關的神經信號，

and they're decoded by a computer in real time.

並由電腦即時解碼。

We're tapping into the native part of the brain that controls movement naturally.

我們正利用大腦本來的部分來自然控制活動。

So, simply by imagining intuitive movements,

所以，就只是靠想像的直覺動作，

participants can immediately control a robotic device.

受試者可以馬上控制機器人設備。

The technology could transform the lives of people with disabilities but it could go further,

這項技術可以改變殘疾人士的生活，但還能更進一步，

enhancing the abilities of the entire human race.

提升整體人類的能力。

One problem is that current technology can only record the activity of a couple of hundred neurons.

目前技術有一個問題，現在只能記錄幾百個神經元活動。

Our minds are generated by a bewildering network of 85 billion neurons.

我們的大腦是由令人眼花繚亂的網狀物所組成，其中有 850 億個神經元。

Listening to them all in real time has proved an impossible challenge for neuroscientists.

對神經學家來說，要同時聽取這些神經元是不可能達成的挑戰。

But in 2013, their research gained powerful backing.

但在 2013 年，他們的研究得到了強而有力的支持。

There's this enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked

這個巨大的謎團還在等待解開，

and the Brain Initiative will change that by giving scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action

腦啟動計畫將為科學家提供他們所需的工具來改變這點，從而得到大腦運作時的動態圖片，

and better understand how we think and how we learn and how we remember.

這樣才能更了解我們如何思考、如何學習，以及如何記憶。

The Brain Initiative is a six-billion dollar fund to find new ways to map the activity of an entire brain.

腦啟動計畫耗資 60 億美金，目的是找出新方法來繪製整個大腦活動。

Leading neuroscientist Professor Rafael Yuste was at the front of the queue of funding.

頂尖神經學家 ── 拉斐爾．尤斯特教授位於資助行列的前端。

The goal of the Brain Initiative is precisely to be a methods to read and manipulate the activity of neuron circuits

腦啟動計畫的目標是，找出準確理解和控制神經迴路活動的方法，

so that we can eventually help patients that have mental or neurological diseases.

這樣我們最後可以幫助罹患精神或神經疾病的患者。

In 2017, Professor Yuste's team

尤斯特教授的團隊在 2017 年，

announced that they had successfully recorded the activity from every neuron of an animal, albeit a very simple one,

宣布他們成功記錄動物每個神經元的活動，雖然是結構非常簡單的動物，

a tiny freshwater relative of the jellyfish called a hydra.

一種微小、與水母同門的淡水生物，稱為水螅。

In a way, you could argue that we're trying to read the hydra's mind

從某種程度上，你可能認為我們在嘗試理解水螅的想法，

because we can measure the activity of every neuron in hydra while the hydra is behaving.

因為當水螅活動時，我們會測量每個神經元的活動。

And once you've learned to read neural code, you can learn to write it too.

一旦你學會神經編碼，你也能學會編寫。

Can we input thoughts into a hydra,

我們能將想法輸入到水螅中，

can we write the patterns of activity

我們能編寫活動模式，

and change the behavior of the animal?

並改變動物的行為嗎？

We're trying to do this in hydra and we're trying to do this in mice.

我們正試著在水螅，還有老鼠身上做到這些。

We can imagine that you could do this with humans in the future.

我們可以想像，未來在人類身上也能做到這些。

The human brain is vastly more complex than the hydra

人腦比起水螅還要複雜許多，

and converting the electrochemical signals of the mind into the digital language of machines remains a huge technological challenge.

而且要將大腦的電化學訊號，轉變成機器的數位語言，仍是相當艱困的技術挑戰。

But history has shown that where there's a will and plenty of money,

但歷史證明，只要有意願和充足的資金，

there's a way.

總會有辦法。

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

這是我個人的一小步，卻是人類的一大步。

I hope to achieve making neuroscience the new rocket science.

我希望將神經科學變成新的火箭科學。

We're not speaking publicly currently about what we're building.

我們現階段不會公開討論建造中的內容。

We will in time.

但我們遲早會。

Tech entrepreneurs are turning their minds and their money to developing brain machine interfaces.

科技企業家正將他們的心思和資金轉向開發腦機介面。

Bryan Johnson founded Kernel, a neural interface startup with $100 million of his own money.

布萊恩．約翰遜，耗資自身 1 億美金，創立腦機介面的新創公司 Kernel ，

Everyone's trying to find how to go from where we're at now

每個人都試圖找出我們現在的下一步在哪，

and the next big jump to where we're going to be

以及下次有大進展時，我們可以做到什麼地步．

and in building Kernel,

而創立 Kernel 的部分，

my objective is to radically improve humans in every imaginable and unimaginable way.

我的目標是，用想像得到和想像不到的方式，從根本上來改善人類。

Bryan Johnson is not alone in this dream.

布萊恩．約翰遜在這夢想上並不是孤軍奮戰。

Elon Musk's latest company, Neuralink

伊隆．馬斯克最新的公司，Neuralink

aims to enhance humans by connecting them to computers.

目標是將人類連接至電腦，來增進人類的能力。

DARPA, the research and development arm of the American military is also at the forefront of this technology.

DARPA 是美國軍方研究發展部門，也是這項科技的龍頭。

Brain computer interfaces are coming.

腦機介面即將問世。

But are we ready?

但我們準備好了嗎？

I think every day of the potential dangers of building technology without thinking carefully about the consequence of this technology for society.

我認為建造科技要是沒有仔細考慮對社會的影響，每天都會有潛在的危險。

If we allow the internet into our minds,

如果我們讓網路進入我們的腦海中，

what's to stop it reading the thoughts we'd rather keep private?

要用什麼方法來阻止它讀取我們想保密的想法？

We're not talking about data privacy.

我們不是在討論資料隱私。

This is much worse.

這是更嚴重的問題。

We're talking about the contents of your mind.

我們在討論大腦裡的內容。

And if we discover how to enhance our intelligence,

如果我們發現如何增強我們的智力，

who gets to go first?

那誰要來當第一人？

You need to ensure as a society that there is equitable access to this technology

你需要保證社會能公平使用這項科技，

so that it doesn't end up in the hands of a privileged few.

這樣才不會落在少數有特權的人手中。

It's vital that ethical considerations keep pace with advancing technology.

至關重要的是，道德考量必須跟上先進科技的腳步。

Melding our minds with machines could radically transform society.

將我們的思想和機器結合可以完全改變社會。

But some argue that the transformation is already under way

但有些人表示，這樣的轉型已經在進行，

and if we don't use machines to improve ourselves, we risk being left behind.

如果我們不使用機器來提升自身能力，我們就有被拋在後頭的風險。

Humans are the most intelligent species on this Earth.

人類是地球上最具智慧的物種。

We are now giving birth to a new form of intelligence in the form of AI.

我們正以人工智慧的形式，製造出一種新形式的智慧。

At what point do we feel uncomfortable within the delta between our own improvement and that of our machines?

在我們增進自身能力和機器間的三角洲內，我們什麼時候會感到不安？

AI, the thing we need to contemplate very seriously,

人工智慧，這件事我們需要深思熟慮，

for me, it's best that could ever have happened to us

對我來說，這能發生在我們身上是很棒的，

and it's critical that we try to co-evolve with this unbelievable powerful form of intelligence that we're now building.

而且重要的是，我們試著用現在建造的這種難以置信，且強而有力的智能形式共同進化。

The matrix is not imminent but enough research is now being done on brain computer interfaces

環境並不是迫在眉睫，但現在腦機介面已經進行了充分的研究，

that it's time to think hard about their potential implications.

正是時候仔細思考其潛在的影響。

If superhuman intelligence is created in the future,

如果將來可以創造出超乎常人的的智慧，

humanity could reap huge benefits as long as it's handled with care.

只要謹慎處理，人類就能獲得極大的利益。