How to Enhance Your Brain with AI | Dr. Fei-Fei Li & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Decoding Brain Activity

00:00I feel like at some point in the not too distant future, uh, computers will have access to our brain activity in non-invasive ways. So, you know, like I might even imagine in 5 10 years I'm wearing something on my head right now. You can't see it.

00:15It's a very very fine hairnet. Hairet makes it sound like it whatever. Like some electrodes that are just there on the outside of my skull, not bothering me. sensing my activity inside the brain, maybe also sensing my heart rate, autonomic activity, how alert I am, and comparing that, yes, to what I'm saying and what I'm doing.

00:32This is all totally within reach and it's going to happen. You and I both know this and it's probably already starting to scare people, but let's let's let's keep it benevolent, right? There's this world where a computer that I own and I'm not worried about data getting out or anything like that.

00:46We've can manage that problem. is sensing all these aspects of me and is picking up on the fact that yes, what I say might be important, but there are aspects of my internal state and brain activity that I'm not even aware of. Yeah. and I can decide to collaborate with this aspect of me and say, "Let's let's come up with a really interesting uh picture that I've never seen before, but comes from some experience of mine that's important based on whatever like we and and it could reveal that to me because it has access to my to unconscious features of my brain activity."

01:24I think this is very likely to happen in in the not too distant future and perhaps if people thought about it within the bubble of their own experience like this isn't immediately going to the internet or it's not going to be used against them.

01:35you're actually learning about yourself of course and and I feel most people have an inherent interest in what's going on for them also with other people thank goodness but they're I think like amazing like I would love to know why I trip up in certain ways and don't have the best day or why some days I have the best day or where ideas come from in me what states I could you know kind of elaborate on but I'm not going to know how to do that except okay one cup of coffee good one and a half a little better two is too much if I like right now if you think about how primitively

02:09we go about this it's kind of crazy. It's crazy and everyone has a different method and we all try and get this right and then you've aged enough by the time you get it right that then you have to

Enhancing Humanity With AI

02:18update it and like we're probably not getting the most out of our biology and our brains at all right now. No, we're not. And this is why I keep saying this is why it bothers me when people talk about AI. Some people make it sound like it's replacing humanity.

02:34But what we really what you describe is about enhancing and augmenting humanity. Right? This is where it doesn't even have to go as sci-fi as a smart hairet uh accessing your brain waves. Just AI learning your patterns of writing can already help you to be, you know, a better communicator, a more effective communicator, a more efficient communicator.

03:02And that is an empowering capability that we could unleash in today's AI. I think one of the most important thing Andrew that as a neuroscientist and also faculty we know is agency is so important for humanity. You know that boils down to motivation, agency and dignity at every individual level.

03:27And I think we need to recognize that we need to think about AI as a tool that helps us in our agency. It does it should not take away our agency. And people who lead in today's AI should not try to talk like that this work will take away agency from people.

03:52Yeah. Yeah, I think people who are very familiar with the technology whether it's computers or it's biology or any technology cars for that matter we they become such nerds of that thing that we forget that it can be scary to people

Public Fear and AI Rhetoric

04:09and that the languaging around it is essential. It is. And I remember a time in the early 90s, I'm sure you remember this too, when genetic testing was viewed as this thing like would you want to have it? Would you want to do a blood test? because oh my goodness, you might see something that could really scare you.

04:22And that discussion is happening now around, you know, self-elected MRIs and things like that. None of which people have to do, but I come from the stance like more information is better. But I've come to understand that not everyone feels that way.

04:35Some people don't want to know. They don't want to know. Yeah. But they should have the choice. In the meantime, we should have enough public education and communication to let people know the pros and cons, but not to deny them the choice.

04:47and also not to take away you know um and and and say well since you don't understand this let me decide for you what's good that is not good you know and and the rhetoric around AI right now is getting really skewed because people who know what this is tend to talk down at the public it tend to talk whether the motivation is a positive one or negative one it there there is a rheto rhetoric of you guys don't know what this is and I will tell you allow will make you whether happy safe whatever it is and I would decide for you these are not healthy and not helpful.

05:32Yeah, I agree. And I think, you know, one of the reasons for starting this podcast was to showcase the scientists and physicians who really have a benevolence about them and they have no interest in dumbing things down, but they do have an interest in people understanding things and many people would feel that, you know, health information is among the more important things to understand.

05:53Absolutely.

Empowerment Through AI Literacy

05:54Well, thankfully, you um you're breaking the mold of of the, you know, the phenotype you just described. um and and there are a few others but you've really uh you've been doing this at at the highest levels really encouraging people to think about the collaboration that is AI the the agency that exists and whether to use it or not to use it and so forth one of the agency I do think it's important for individual humans whether you're a student a teacher doctor policy maker is learn about this not necessarily learn about how to code I don't think that's it's necessary depend

06:28on your job right So for example, if you're artist or if you're a teacher or doctor, you don't necessarily need to code, but learn about what this l uh this technology is. Learn about how you can use it yourself to empower yourself, your learning or your work or your expression.

06:47By learning, one feels more in control. By learning, you're less scared of trying. And by learning, you retain that agency. and that dignity because at the end of the day, no matter how advanced technology is or medicine is, as humans, we want that benevolence that helps us to live better, keep our dignity, and and make our community better.

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