Yahoo Finance

AI-powered wearables that read your thoughts

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is touting an armband that could allow you to type just by thinking. Apple has a patent for airpods that could measure brain activity. At the same time, researchers have discovered ways to use AI to decode your brain activity—a fancy way of saying mind reading. Experts say this could be transformative for neurotechnology, which is any product that can measure brain activity and translate that activity into commands (think typing but without your hands.) Tech companies are building off neurotech advancements in the medical world. Meta (META) is backing a team of neuroscientists whose research uncovered nonsurgical ways to detect brain activity and speech to interpret your thoughts. Noninvasive mind reading can be revolutionary in medicine for patients - it can also be used by big tech for consumer-facing products that put privacy at risk. Regulators and governments are beginning to take action, though.. After first-of-its-kind neuro rights legislation was passed in Colorado, activists are working towards federal policies that would safeguard our thought data as AI-powered research speeds up the development of products in this space. If you’re going to future-proof your portfolio, you need to know what’s NEXT in the business of neurotechnology. In this series, Yahoo Finance will feature stories that give a glimpse at the future, and show how companies are making big moves today that will matter tomorrow. For more on our NEXT series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday.