Control Your iPhone with Your Thoughts? Apple’s New Tech Raises Eyebrows

Apple is entering the brain-computer interface (BCI) arena via a partnership with New York-based startup Synchron, a move that seems straight out of science fiction. The goal? To let people, particularly those with restricted mobility, control iPhones, iPads, and even the Vision Pro headset using only their thoughts. The internet, however, is generating a group eyebrow- and not in a good way, as the tech industry hums with excitement. 

Founded in 2016 by neurologist Dr. Tom Oxley, Synchron has taken a less intrusive approach to brain interfacing. Unlike Elon Musk's Neuralink, which calls for open-brain surgery, Synchron's "Stentrode" is a matchstick-sized metal mesh with electrode sensors threaded into a blood vessel to the brain. Once in place, it sends motor signals, essentially the intention to move or carry out activities to a body-worn transmitter. The signal from that transmitter goes to a smartphone-sized wireless processor, which processes the data and converts it into commands for digital devices. 

A patient with ALS who used the Synchron system to control an Apple Vision Pro headset made news. All hands-free and mind-controlled, they could send messages, watch videos, and play a card game. If this happens, Synchron will be the first company to directly integrate into Apple's device ecosystem using the new BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) profile as Apple officially acknowledges BCI as a native input method alongside touch, voice, and typing. 

But while the technology industry views a revolution, Reddit views are divided. The concept is great for those with mobility problems, but how are your thoughts being filtered? What becomes of the unused ideas? one Reddit user inquired. "So getting all my activity wasn't enough," another joked. They want my real brain now for focused advertisements? With references to dystopian fictions, including Minority Report and Black Mirror, the tone throughout the site is mostly sceptical. 

Some users voiced concerns that BCI technology might be exploited for data collecting, manipulation, or monitoring. "You are giving up something priceless and private for a little convenience," one critic said. "More hacking security headaches," another user dryly said.

As with any groundbreaking technology, the debate around BCIs is split between promise and peril. Apple may be pushing toward a future of more inclusive tech, but it's clear that many consumers still aren't ready to hand over their thoughts, literally. Whether the Stentrode becomes a symbol of empowerment or intrusion remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the mind is the final frontier, and we're now closer than ever to crossing it.

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