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Scientists use AI neural network to translate speech from brain activity
Three recently published studies focused on using artificial intelligence (AI) neural networks to generate audio output from brain signals have shown promising results, namely by producing identifiable sounds up to 80% of the time. Participants in the studies first had their brain signals measured while they were either reading aloud or listening to specific words. All the data was then given to a neural network to “learn” how to interpret brain signals after which the final sounds were reconstructed for listeners to identify. These results represent hopeful prospects for the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), where thought-based communication is quickly moving from the realm of science fiction to reality.
The idea of connecting human brains to computers is far from new. In fact, several relevant milestones have been made in recent years including enabling paralyzed individuals to operate tablet computers with their brain waves. Elon Musk has also famously brought attention to the field with Neuralink, his BCI company that essentially hopes to merge human consciousness with the power of the Internet. As brain-computer interface technology expands and develops new ways to foster communication between brains and machines, studies like these, originally highlighted by Science Magazine, will continue demonstrating the steady march of progress.
In the first study conducted by researchers from Columbia University and Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, both in New York, five epileptic participants had the brain signals from their auditory cortexes recorded as they listened to stories and numbers being read to them. The signal data was provided to a neural network for analysis which then reconstructed audio files that were accurately identified by participating listeners 75% of the time.
In the second study conducted by a team from the University of Bremen (Germany), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Northwestern University (Illinois), and Virginia Commonwealth University (Virginia), brain signal data was gathered from six patients’ speech planning and motor areas while undergoing tumor surgeries. Each patient read specific words aloud to target the data collected. After the brain data and audio data were given to their neural network for training, the program was given brain signals not included in the training set to recreate audio, the result producing words that were recognizable 40% of the time.
Finally, in a third study by a team at the University of California, San Francisco, three participants with epilepsy read text aloud while brain activity was captured from the speech and motor areas of their brains. The audio generated from their neural network’s analysis of the signal readings was presented to a group of 166 people who were asked to identify the sentences from a multiple choice test – some sentences were identified with 80% accuracy.
While the research presented in these studies shows serious progress towards connecting human brains to computers, there are still a few significant hurdles. For one, the way neuron signal patterns in the brain translate into sounds varies from person to person, so neural networks must be trained on each individual person. The best results require the best data possible, i.e., the most precise neuron signals possible, meaning this is something that can only be obtained by placing electrodes in the brain itself. The opportunities to collect data at this invasive level for research are limited, relying on voluntary participation and approval of experiments.
All three of the studies highlighted demonstrated an ability to reconstruct speech based on neural data in some significant capacity; however, also in all cases, the study participants were able to create audible sounds to use with the computer training set. In the case of patients unable to speak, the level of difficultly in interpreting the brain’s speech signals from other signals will be the biggest challenge. Also, the differences between brain signals during actual speech vs. thinking about speech will complicate matters further.
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
