Insurer Allianz Trade has combined with AI human interface experts Inclusive Brains to develop a non-invasive AI system to send messages without the need to touch or to speak to give people with disabilities more autonomy.
The two have said the first aim of the partnership is to begin the development of mind-controlled keyboards.
Last year the two organisations partnered to develop Prometheus BCI, a new kind of multimodal human-machine interface powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) that transforms diverse neurophysiological data into mental commands.
It culminated with millions of people around the world witnessing this assistive neurotechnology being used by two individuals with motor and cognitive disabilities to mind-control an arm exoskeleton that empowered them to hold the Olympic torch.
The pair said the aim is to drive inclusion through innovation, adding they are fueled by a joint guiding principle: machines must adapt to their users, not the other way around. The proprietary multimodal gen AI at the core of Prometheus BCI enables the human-machine interaction to be tailored to each user’s physicality, abilities, needs and cognition. Giving machines such as workstations adaptive capability opens up a wide range of practical applications to close the equality gap for people with disabilities.
The so-called “mind-controlled keyboard” will be a force for not only digital but also societal inclusion.
“Millions of people are isolated because accidents of life or neurodegenerative conditions are preventing them from communicating and from having digital access,” they added. “Mind-controlled keyboards can tackle this challenge head-on and give people with disabilities more autonomy, while facilitating their access to education and to the workforce.”
“The non-invasive world premieres we have achieved as part of our partnership pave the way for further concrete and life changing applications of Prometheus BCI for people with disabilities,” explained Olivier Oullier, Co-founder & CEO of Inclusive Brains and chairman of Biotech Dental’s Group AI Institute. “In just a few months, it became the first ever multimodal non-invasive tool used to mind-write-and-send a tweet, and then a parliamentary amendment at the French Parliament. We now want our gen-AI powered neurotechnology to benefit whoever needs it most. Being able to control a keyboard with one’s mind, eye movements, by blinking or clenching depending on what one is able to do can be life-changing for a lot of people with paralysis or who cannot speak. It could enable them to communicate with the world again and therefore reopen the door to joining the workforce.”
Looking to the future Allianz Trade and Inclusive Brains said they are focused on expanding impact to benefit everyone, and not only people with disabilities. It is why the code for Prometheus BCI’s algorithm will soon be made available to all innovators.
“Zero discrimination is the essence of truly inclusive tech, and collective efforts are instrumental to reach this goal. By making the Prometheus BCI algorithm open source, we invite developers, institutions, and industries to collaborate on advancing assistive techs for all. Therein lies the power of unity. At Allianz Trade and Inclusive Brains, we believe in breaking barriers through innovation. This initiative reflects our dedication to inclusive solutions that empower individuals worldwide,” added Florence Lecoutre, group board member in charge of Data Analytics & AI, Human Resources, Sustainability, Compliance and Communications at Allianz Trade.