Facebook F8 Conference: Company's Brain-Computer Interface Will Allow Typing Using Mind

Facebook concluded its two-day F8 annual conference Wednesday where it announced its plan over the next 10 years. The Menlo Park-based company will be investing in a number of foundational technologies including connectivity, artificial intelligence, and virtual and augmented reality. But what is most interesting is Facebook's investment into building a brain-computer interface that will let users type using their mind. Once developed, brain-computer interfaces could let people control augmented reality and virtual reality experiences with their mind instead of a screen. "We are working on a system that will let people type with their brains. Specifically, we have a goal of creating a silent speech system capable of typing 100 words per minute straight from your brain – that's five times faster than you can type on a smartphone today," Facebook said on its official blog Wednesday.