Neuralink tests hands-free calls, text dictation and Grok control through brain signals

Neuralink has demonstrated new features designed to help people with severe speech impairments make phone calls, control a Grok AI agent through imagined speech, and communicate without manually activating a speech decoder. The Elon Musk-founded company also tested brain-controlled dictation across iPhone apps, allowing users to enter text without relying on conventional keyboards. The developments are part of Neuralink’s experimental brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, which translates neural signals associated with intended speech into words. The company demonstrated the features with a participant in its VOICE clinical study, which focuses on restoring communication for people who have lost the ability to speak. One of the new features allows users to activate a Grok AI agent by imagining themselves saying “Hey Neuralink,” followed by a command. The agent then carries out the requested task autonomously on a computer. Neuralink described the integration as an early demonstration of how brain-computer interfaces could enable more direct interaction with AI-powered systems. The company also developed a neural voice activity detection system that automatically recognizes when a participant intends to speak. Previously, users had to press a button to start and stop recording neural activity for speech decoding. The new system detects when the user is attempting to speak and automatically starts or stops the decoding process. This could reduce the need for physical controls and make communication more accessible to people with severe movement limitations. Neuralink also introduced real-time visualizations that display the intensity and distribution of neural signals recorded by the implant. These visualizations allow participants to experiment with different imagined speaking patterns and identify those that produce stronger neural activity, potentially helping improve speech-decoding performance. Making everyday communication easier Another development integrates BCI-generated speech directly into iPhone calls. Instead of relying on a separate communication interface, the system feeds synthesized speech into the phone’s microphone audio stream, allowing the person on the other end to hear the generated voice. During testing, the participant used the technology to speak with his wife over the phone. Neuralink said the couple had begun their relationship through phone conversations, making the demonstration particularly meaningful. The company also developed an iOS keyboard integration that allows users to dictate text through neural signals directly into different applications. The feature is intended to reduce the difficulties people with conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may face when using conventional keyboards or voice dictation. Neuralink also tested improvements to Bloom, its mobile application for speech-based brain-computer interfaces. These include a faster editing system that allows users to correct incorrectly decoded text and a lock-screen feature that enables speech communication without first unlocking the phone. The improvements were developed during a 72-hour engineering sprint at a VOICE study participant’s home, where engineers worked alongside the participant and his wife. The team built and tested prototypes in real time, using feedback from the participant to identify problems and make changes. Some features underwent further development in the weeks following the sprint. The demonstrations highlight Neuralink’s efforts to move brain-controlled communication beyond laboratory settings and into everyday activities. However, the company has not provided quantitative performance results for the new features, including speech-decoding accuracy or response times. Neuralink’s brain implants remain investigational and have not received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authorities. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.