First Place in the NLB Challenge
AE’s data science team took first place in the first Neural Latents Benchmark (NLB) challenge, topping the leaderboard in every category! We reinvested the prize money to sponsor a phase II of the NLB Challenge and have offered cloud computing grants to all participating teams.
What is BCI?
Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) are the hardware and software that allow information to flow directly between brains and computing devices (computers, smartphones, robots, electrical simulators of limbs, etc.)
The hardware reads brain activity from electrical signals, blood flow, or other features that reflect underlying brain activity. The software then reveals patterns in those signals, interprets those patterns, and converts them into commands a computer can understand.
Want to discuss BCI or simply learn more about AE?
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
Our mission is to create software that increases human agency, including BCI. No unwanted neurofeedback, “neuromarketing”, or hacking. Instead, seamless natural transitions between thoughts and improved understanding of self.
We collaborate with research groups around the world to advance the state of the art and maximize the positive impact of BCI.
We are reading, writing, discussing, and planning the implications of BCI within our optimistic, longtermist view of society.
We are building a team of talented machine learning engineers and neuroscientists to help increase human agency in ways we have not yet imagined.
We are developing the software component of BCI. Specifically, the machine learning algorithms to interpret brain activity (neural decoding) and a real-time decoding system.
Our mission is to create software that increases human agency, including BCI. No unwanted neurofeedback, “neuromarketing”, or hacking. Seamless natural transitions between thoughts and improved understanding of self.
We collaborate with research groups around the world to advance the state of the art and maximize the positive impact of BCI.
We are reading, writing, discussing, and planning the implications of BCI within our optimistic, longtermist view of society.
We are building a team of talented machine learning engineers and neuroscientists to help increase human agency in ways we have not yet imagined.
WHAT HAVE WE BUILT?
WHAT HAVE WE BUILT?
At AE, we are product-focused developers, developing open-source software to drive the advancement of agency-increasing BCI solutions. Our pursuit of a better future through neurotechnology includes releasing open-source software tools, like the ones highlighted below, that align with our commitment to the field.
Neural Data Simulator
The Neural Data Simulator (NDS) is an open-source Python package designed to simplify the development of Brain-Computer Interfaces. NDS generates real-time electrophysiology data from behavioral data, such as cursor movement and arm kinematics, to replace the BCI-user in the loop during development. The package is highly flexible and fully customizable, and comes with a set of utilities and examples which allow for the rapid kickstarting of BCI development.
Neurotech Development Kit
The Neurotech Development Kit (NDK) is an open-source software library developed to enhance accessibility to state-of-the-art neurotechnology. The first release of NDK provides support for functional ultrasound neurotechnology, featuring a user-friendly API and pre-built examples for a seamless experience. By lowering the entry barrier for newcomers and accelerating the progress of researchers, the NDK aims to be a versatile for the community.
We are developing the software component of BCI. Specifically, the machine learning algorithms to interpret brain activity (neural decoding) and a real-time decoding system.
Our mission is to create software that increases human agency, including BCI. No unwanted neurofeedback, “neuromarketing”, or hacking. Seamless natural transitions between thoughts and improved understanding of self.
We collaborate with research groups around the world to advance the state of the art and maximize the positive impact of BCI.
We are reading, writing, discussing, and planning the implications of BCI within our optimistic, longtermist view of society.
We are building a team of talented machine learning engineers and neuroscientists to help increase human agency in ways we have not yet imagined.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Humans have deployed technology to increase their agency since the agricultural revolution, at an accelerating pace.
Our relationship with computers has already increased human agency and transcription fluency dramatically. When computers begin responding to our thoughts directly, these effects can be accelerated…if BCI is developed with that intent. Alternatively, BCI could reduce our agency if its creators are narrowly-focused on short-term commercial incentives.
Our position: BCI should enhance the agency of its users. If you think dark patterns are bad, imagine interruption of thought with ads that sell neural data to the highest bidder without consent. If BCI is designed like modern technology, we can expect both. We want to nudge the field in the right direction.
Currently, BCI technology is being deployed to restore hearing via cochlear implants, restore use of paralyzed limbs, and to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Despite this potential, it remains a neglected topic with potential restorative and augmentative applications we cannot yet imagine. AE exists to increase human agency and ensure neuroethical principles are maintained as the journey continues.
AE creates technology for organizations, and individuals that want to maximize their agency. As we continue to grow, we will better understand and derive the neuroethical principles needed for the development of the best version of BCI for humanity.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER
Humans have deployed technology to increase their agency since the agricultural revolution, at an accelerating pace.
Our relationship with computers has already increased human agency and transcription fluency dramatically. When computers begin responding to our thoughts directly, these effects can be accelerated…if BCI is developed with that intent. Alternatively, BCI could reduce our agency if its creators are narrowly-focused on short-term commercial incentives.
Our position: BCI should enhance the agency of its users. If you think dark patterns are bad, imagine interruption of thought with ads that sell neural data to the highest bidder without consent. If BCI is designed like modern technology, we can expect both. We want to nudge the field in the right direction.
Currently, BCI technology is being deployed to restore hearing via cochlear implants, restore use of paralyzed limbs, and to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Despite this potential, it remains a neglected topic with potential restorative and augmentative applications we cannot yet imagine. AE exists to increase human agency and ensure neuroethical principles are maintained as the journey continues.
AE creates technology for organizations, and individuals that want to maximize their agency. As we continue to grow, we will better understand and derive the neuroethical principles needed for the development of the best version of BCI for humanity.
HOW CAN AE HELP US GET THERE?
HOW CAN AE HELP US GET THERE?
We maintain independence and avoid shareholders, venture capital, and private equity (Google’s founders never wanted ads, but their investors did). AE is already a fully-bootstrapped business that has grown from 0 to ~150 with agency-increasing BCI as its ambitious Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.
We are growing a profitable, longtermist software company, training the best developers, designers, and engineers on this planet (or any other), building agency-increasing products for those clients and ourselves, and investing in altruistic, agency-increasing BCI initiatives. We love funding internal skunkworks projects
We follow the core principles of increasing human agency, rather than short-term financial incentives, A/B testing baby steps, and realizing that we are only 1% as good as we could be.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If you are an academic researcher looking to improve your neural decoding algorithms or (re)create a real-time decoder, we’re here to help!
If you are a hardware company interested in joining a select list of early adopters using our technology for decoding brain signals using state-of-the art techniques, or want to understand how the data from your hardware can help improve human agency, come talk to us!
If you are a developer or data scientist, excited, curious, or concerned about the future of BCI, join our team!
We maintain independence and avoid shareholders, venture capital, and private equity (Google’s founders never wanted ads, but their investors did). AE is already a fully-bootstrapped business that has grown from 0 to ~100 with agency-increasing BCI as its ambitious Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.
We are growing a profitable, longtermist software company, training the best developers, designers, and engineers on the planet (or any other), building agency-increasing products for those clients and ourselves, and investing in altruistic, agency-increasing BCI initiatives. We love funding internal skunkworks projects
We follow the core principles of increasing human agency, rather than short-term financial incentives, A/B testing baby steps, and realizing that we are only 1% as good as we could be.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If you are an academic researcher looking to improve your neural decoding algorithms or (re)create a real-time decoder, we’re here to help!
If you are a hardware company interested in joining a select list of early adopters using our technology for decoding brain signals using state-of-the art techniques, or want to understand how the data from your hardware can help improve human agency, come talk to us!
If you are a developer or data scientist, excited, curious, or concerned about the future of BCI, join our team!
Want to talk?
Book a free consultation with our team!
We will talk through whatever hard problem you're facing and help you accomplish what lies ahead of you.
Want to talk?
Book a free consultation with our team!
We will talk through whatever hard problem you're facing and help you accomplish what lies ahead of you.