Can we connect machines to the brain and allow the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the paralyzed to walk? This concept may sound obscure and futuristic, but the reality of it is here and now. Many scientists are developing projects that will use robotics to allow this to happen, and the new technologies are not as far away as one might think.
Although most of these mechanisms are still prototypes and a long way away from the commercial market, the incredible advances in these products are proof that AI will soon be able to restore sight, hearing, and movement to many by communicating directly with a patient’s brain. Artificial Neurointelligence Systems, retinal implants, and intelligent hearing aids will provide bionic capability and give hope to many who would not otherwise have a chance to lead a relatively normal life.
Artificial Intelligence in medicine will play an incredible role in allowing many people with a plethora of debilitating diseases to be made whole again, a prospect about which they can currently only dream about. However, some people see uses of robotic features in the human body that stretch beyond medical procedures. They see nanobots—microscopic robots that communicate with the human brain or muscles—as a means of creating super humans with unlimited memory. However, that potential use is a lot farther off than the benefits that Artificial Intelligence enhancements will give to people who would otherwise be blind, deaf, or paralyzed.