Professor Reinhold Scherer is Head of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at the University of Essex and a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) research. In this episode of BASELINE, he explains how BCIs are already restoring movement, hearing, and communication, and what it means when we begin connecting human brains to machines.We explore the ethics of neural implants, the rise of synthetic intelligence, and how tools like ChatGPT are reshaping memory, attention, and human thought. From non-invasive brainwave decoding to the psychological impact of cognitive outsourcing, this conversation reveals what happens when machines do more than serve us - they begin to shape us.

00:00 – Intro: Brain chips, AI, and the future of human thought

10:00 – How close are we to real brain-computer interfaces

20:00 – Can neural implants change who we are?

31:00 – Memory, cognition, and outsourcing thinking to AI

41:00 – Brain plasticity and the hidden risks of generative tools

51:00 – Synthetic intelligence and redefining what it means to learn

1:02:00 – Consciousness, simulation, and identity

1:12:00 – Final thoughts: trust, creativity, and human agency