Japanese scientists from the National Institute of Quantum Science and Technology (Qst) and Osaka University have made a significant breakthrough in the understanding of human consciousness through the development of “brain decoding” technology. This technology, based on AI, is capable of converting the activity of the human brain into visual images of objects and landscapes.
In the course of their research, the scientists were successful in creating vivid images, including a leopard with ears, a mouth, and spots, as well as objects such as an airplane with red lights on its wings.
Previous studies have allowed for the recreation of images by analyzing the brain activity of individuals. However, visualizing mental images for others has proven to be a challenging task. Only a few studies have successfully demonstrated mental images, with these images being often limited to specific categories such as human faces, letters, or shapes.
In this study, participants were shown approximately 1200 images which were then analyzed and quantitatively evaluated to determine the relationship between the signals in their brains and the visual stimuli, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
The data obtained were utilized to train a generative AI model, which subsequently decoded and reproduced images based on the participants’ brain activity. The results of the experiment showcased the model’s capability to recreate both natural and artificially invented images.
According to the researchers, brain decoding technology can have significant implications in the fields of medicine and social support. The ability to visualize mental images based on brain activity opens up new possibilities in the development of communication devices and provides opportunities for studying the mechanisms of hallucinations and dreams in the brain.
The authors of the study acknowledged that despite using microscopes to explore the smallest details, delving into the depths of the human mind remains a completely new and uncharted territory. It can be likened to the discovery of an entirely new world within ourselves.