I am totally convinced that we will essentially invent telepathy within the next few decades.
We’ve already made strides with interacting with a computer via brain signals, if we can build simple text interfaces (like this) that interface directly with the brain we have all the pieces needed to silently send text messages using only thought.
My mind immediately goes to horrible implications like telepathic spam. Conversations getting interrupted with ads, screaming directly into your brain.
> Leela: Didn't you have ads in the 20th century?
>
> Fry: Well, sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio. And in magazines and movies and at ball games, on buses and milk cartons and T-shirts and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams. No, sir-ee!
I think you could argue that we already are. Imagine you're an alien who discovers Earth. You see all these humans everywhere and wonder how they might be related. So you go show yourself to a big group like Beijing or Delhi. You immediately see activity from all over the world. Looks like a hive mind to me.
The difference you're describing is how far apart our brains are. This strikes me as an optimization over a phenomenon that the internet has already facilitated.
There is no incentive for the brain interface companies to offer an opt-in device. It will be opt-out (but may require a law AI to grok the privacy policy)
I totally agree, I think we're going to have a multi-decade period of technological improvement in this area from the first useful implementation to full sensory immersion.
We’ve already made strides with interacting with a computer via brain signals, if we can build simple text interfaces (like this) that interface directly with the brain we have all the pieces needed to silently send text messages using only thought.