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Will brain implants that turn thoughts to text become commonplace?

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode "The biotech visionaries"

Synchron's implantable brain-computer interface allows people to turn thoughts into texts, emails, and posts. Founder Tom Oxley explains who this tech is for and whether it will be widely used.

About Tom Oxley

Tom Oxley is a brain-computer interface specialist and the founder and CEO of Synchron, a neural interface technology company. At Synchron, Oxley is developing an endovascular, implantable brain-computer interface, which allows a patient's thoughts to be transmitted wirelessly through the skin to control an array of digital devices.

Oxley practices as a neurointerventionist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He completed his MD at Monash University, and he completed his PhD in neuroengineering at the University of Melbourne. He has performed more than 1,600 endovascular neurosurgical procedures and has published more than 100 internationally peer-reviewed articles.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Harsha Nahata and Andrea Gutierrez and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Web Resources

Related TED Bio: Tom Oxley
Related TED Talk: The life-changing power of assistive technologies
Related TED Talk: A look inside the brain in real time

Related NPR Links

Shots: Experimental Brain Implant Lets Man With Paralysis Turn His Thoughts Into Words
All Things Considered: Experimental Brain Implant Lets Man With Paralysis Turn His Thoughts Into Words
Shots: Even healthy brains decline with age. Here's what you can do

Copyright 2025 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Harsha Nahata
Harsha Nahata (she/her) is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She is drawn to storytelling as a way to explore ideas about identity and question dominant narratives.
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Andrea Gutierrez
Andrea Gutierrez (she/her) is an assistant producer on It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders. She's drawn to stories at the intersections of gender, race, class and ability in arts and culture.