Facebook reveals more about its mind-reading technology – claiming it wants to scan your thoughts at ‘100 words per minute’

WE don't wish to alarm you, but it turns out that Facebook wants to read your mind.

The social network has revealed further details of a scheme designed to allow users to use their minds to type messages.

A total of 60 scientists from Facebook's top-secret "Building 8" research division are hard at work on a project to develop a "mind-reading brain interface" capable of recording humans’ thoughts.

The scheme is being led by Facebook executive Regina Dugan, who previously headed up the US Government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which develops military technology.

Dugan gave a speech at Facebook's annual F8 conference last night where she tried to reassure the world that Facebook wasn't about to start reading everything that goes on in victim's - sorry, user's - thoughts.

"We are not talking about decoding your random thoughts - that is more than many of us want to know," Dugan said.

"We are talking about thoughts you want to share. Words you have decided to send to the speech centre of the brain."

"Even something as simple as a 'yes/no' brain click, or a 'brain mouse' would be transformative."

Video played during her presentation showed a woman with an advanced neurodegenerative disease using her mind to move a cursor on a computer screen and slowly type words.

"We are just getting started," Dugan added.

"We have a goal of creating a system capable of typing 100 words-per-minute straight from your brain."

Brain-computer interface technology currently involves implanting electrodes, but Facebook wants to use optical imaging to eliminate the need to surgically intrude on brains.

Facebook is looking at creating "silent-speech interfaces" based on wearable sensors that could be made in large quantities.

These devices could let people fire off text messages or emails by thinking, instead of needing to interrupt what they are doing to use smartphone touchscreens or a keyboard.

"Unlike other approaches, ours will be focused on developing a noninvasive system that could one day become a speech prosthetic for people with communication disorders," Dugan said in a post on her Facebook page.

The Facebook research boss suggested her firm's tech could allow instant translation between languages.

"Our brains have the ability to construct language from components," Dugan said.

"I suggest that one day, not so far away, it may be possible for me to think in Mandarin and for you to feel it instantly in Spanish."

However, Dugan insisted this sort of technology will not be released for several years.

Work under way in Building 8 "will one day allow us to choose to share a thought, just like we do with photos and videos," Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his page at the social network.

"Eventually, we want to turn it into a wearable technology that can be manufactured at scale."

Facebook started the Building 8 group last year, and put it in the hands of Dugan, who had previously led an advanced-technology projects group at Google.

Before joining Google, Dugan ran the Defence Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, devoted to developing technology for the US military.

Zuck's charitable organisation, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, recently handed cash to a researcher working to develop “clinically viable and minimally invasive neural interfaces” .

These are likely to be used to control prosthetic limbs.

However, mind-reading technology could also allow Facebook to spy on its users in almost unprecedented detail.

Yann LeCunn, Facebook’s artificial intelligence chief, worked on the development of systems which could one day help computers automatically spy on humans.

He contributed to academic papers exploring the creation of software which would serve as a “key component” in an automated surveillance network.

The AI bod also admitted he’s trying to teach computers to predict the future.

Yann LeCun, leader of Facebook’s AI research division, said this terrifying-sounding capability is “a big part of our effort in making progress” in the development of super-smart computers.

It remains to be seen whether humans will be comforable letting corporations - and governments- read their thoughts.