--- title: "Experts Warn: Brain-Computer Interfaces Will Usher In the Singularity" description: "A pair of philosophers sounded the alarm on the dystopian applications they see being ushered in by brain-computer interface (BCI) technology." date: "2023-03-17" modified: "2023-03-17" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/bci-singularity-philosophers" categories: - "Computers" - "Computing" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "BCI" - "brain implants" - "singularity" - "the digest" --- # Experts Warn: Brain-Computer Interfaces Will Usher In the Singularity ![A pair of philosophers sounded the alarm on the dystopian applications they see being ushered in by brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Singular Concern In an editorial that operates more as a stark warning than an explainer, a pair of philosophers sounded the alarm on the dystopian future they see being ushered in by brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. Writing for [*The Conversation*](), University of New England philosophers Sandy Boucher and John Kendall Hawkins said that we're rapidly approaching what's known as "the singularity," in which the division between human and machine becomes obsolete — and BCIs are the "first step" on that path. This theoretical moment "would mark the dawn of our inseparability from machines," the pair wrote. "From that moment on, we won’t be able to live without them without ceasing to function as human beings." ## Mind Machine While artificial intelligence invariably earns its [fair share of singularity concerns](), futurists are equally worried about BCI implants. "BCIs are a natural beginning to the singularity in the eyes of many futurists," they wrote, "because they meld mind and machine in a way no other technology so far can." Be it [Elon Musk's Neuralink]() or the [BCI startup Synchron](), these technologies are poised to revolutionize the way people who suffer from paralysis and other debilitating illnesses are able to live. For instance, Syncron "has created a minimally invasive implant that allowed a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to send emails and browse the internet using his thoughts," they added. ## It Begins As welcome as this kind of technological advancement is from a medical perspective, it also could "arguably be considered the first stages of a tumbling towards the postulated singularity, in which human and machine become one." "This need not imply machines will become 'sentient' or control us," the philosophers wrote. "But the integration itself, and our ensuing dependency on it, could change us irrevocably." Reaching singularity is, of course, a major concern for philosophers, futurists, and laypeople alike. But as Hawkins and Boucher note, the fact that we're not only going along with the industry's pace of advancement but in many cases welcoming it is definitely enough to give one pause. **More on the singularity:** [*Startup Predicts Year That Technological Singularity Will Happen*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()