Control and Ownership of Neuroprosthetic Speech

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Ethics in Technology

Background:

• Implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) aim to restore speech for individuals with communication impairments.
• Covert speech (imagining speech) can be used to control speech-synthesizing BCIs.
• User control is a critical challenge in speech BCI development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze user control in speech BCIs, focusing on the interplay between accuracy, control, and speech ownership.
• To compare control aspects of speech BCIs with those designed for movement.
• To explore the ethical implications of shared control and output ownership in speech BCIs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of user control in speech BCIs versus movement BCIs.
• Examination of the relationship between accuracy, control, and ownership of synthetic speech.
• Ethical considerations of shared control and user responsibility.

Main Results:

• Control over the process, not just goal selection, is more significant for speech BCI users.
• Speech BCIs may need to sacrifice some automation efficiency to maintain user guidance control.
• User ownership of synthetic speech is distinct from their causal role in its production.

Conclusions:

• Speech BCI design must prioritize user guidance control for authentic self-expression.
• The ethical considerations of shared control in speech BCIs are distinct from movement BCIs.
• Ownership of synthetic speech depends on its representational fidelity to the user's intent.