Researchers successfully reconstructed sound from just human brain activity
What is the thoughts in your head weren't so secret after all?
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'Researchers successfully reconstructed sound from just human brain activity', 311 Institute, 13 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/researchers-successfully-reconstructed-sound-from-just-human-brain-activity/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
For the very first time Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to scan and decode brainwave patterns and then turn those patterns into audible sounds – that are freakily recognisable as you can hear from the video below. And it now means that we can now, literally, listen to the thoughts inside your head.
Combine this with the ability to stream the imagery associated with those thoughts in your head and play them as a video on the TV, as we’ve also already done, and suddenly you might just realise that sci-fi is dead. And you might now also be realising that even the thoughts in your head in the future aren’t safe – and you’d be right especially as the tech to “at a distance is now also developing at a fast rate.
See how it's done
In their ground breaking study the team successfully reconstructed what they call the “perceptual experiences from human brain activity and provide insights into the neural representations of sensory experiences.” Or, what I said above.
Historically reconstructing these arbitrary sounds from the human brain has been avoided because of the complexity of the temporal sequences in those sounds and the limited resolution of neuroimaging technologies like fMRI.
However, while we’ve seen numerous developments recently in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) systems that can take different inputs such as text and turn them into music and assorted sounds this is the first study where the researchers used it to reconstruct sounds from decoded brain waves. And it’s scarily impressive as I think you’ll agree.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
What is the thoughts in your head weren't so secret after all?
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 July 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). Researchers successfully reconstructed sound from just human brain activity. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/researchers-successfully-reconstructed-sound-from-just-human-brain-activity/
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