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... Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, have the potential to transform communication for people experiencing paralysis. Whether they've experienced a traumatic injury, had a stroke, or developed a neurodegenerative disease like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), many paralyzed patients struggle to speak aloud. BCIs do the audible work for them by turning neural signals -- which are captured via small brain implants -- into computer-generated speech.

But BCIs are fairly new, and for the past decade or so, scientists have largely focused on making sure their interfaces actually work in the first place. This means even the most promising BCIs sound a bit like early smart assistants, such as Siri or Alexa: stiff, stilted, and very robotic.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a BCI that more accurately mimics human speech, allowing a man with ALS to verbalize his thoughts naturally and in real time. The technology reportedly accommodates interruptions (an unflattering but normal part of everyday communication) as well as nuance, which helps to emphasize specific words or shift the intonation of the computer-generated voice.

The BCI starts with an implant consisting of 256 microelectrodes, according to a paper published in the journal Nature last month. ...