October 16, 2025 By: JK Tech
Imagine navigating your computer not with a mouse or keyboard, but by thinking. That’s no longer a futuristic fantasy; it’s becoming a reality due to the quiet progress of Synchron, a company taking a very different path from Elon Musk’s more widely known Neuralink.
A Thought Becomes Action
For Mark Jackson, a 65-year-old living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurological disease that damages nerve cells and weakens voluntary muscle control, daily life has changed. ALS gradually weakens the muscles, eventually leaving people unable to move or speak. Yet Jackson can now send emails, play computer games, and even browse the web, all without lifting a finger. The magic lies in a small brain implant called the Stentrode, developed by Synchron.
Unlike Neuralink’s approach, which involves brain surgery to place electrodes directly into tissue, Synchron uses the body’s natural highways, the blood vessels. Doctors insert the device through a vein in the neck and guide it to a region of the brain that controls movement. It’s minimally invasive, but it still allows the system to capture neural activity that represents intention.
When Jackson imagines moving his hand, his neurons fire just as they used to. The Stentrode picks up those signals, and the software interprets them as commands to move a cursor or click a button. Over time, the system learns his patterns and becomes more accurate, translating thought into digital action.
Two Different Roads to the Same Destination
The contrast between Synchron and Neuralink couldn’t be sharper. Neuralink’s implant is embedded directly into the brain, offering high-resolution data but requiring a section of the skull to be removed. Synchron’s device, on the other hand, sits within a blood vessel, further from the neurons, but much safer to implant.
Building Connections That Matter
Synchron isn’t stopping at the implant itself. The company has been working on making the interface more useful in everyday life. Their latest updates allow users to connect the system to Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and even the Vision Pro headset. It also pairs with Amazon Alexa, opening up smart home control through thought.
They’ve also introduced a generative AI assistant (powered by OpenAI technology) that helps users compose text messages and emails more easily. Another upcoming version of the implant aims to go completely wireless, removing the need for the cable that currently connects internal and external components.
What Comes Next
Synchron is preparing for a larger clinical trial set for 2026, which could include up to 50 participants. This will be a critical step toward wider approval and eventual commercialization. But as with all emerging technologies, there are hurdles ahead- from strict regulatory testing to proving that insurers should cover the device for patients who need it most.
Defining success is another challenge. There’s no established benchmark for what “good” performance looks like in a brain-computer interface. For now, even small wins, like helping someone send a message independently, are considered breakthroughs.
A Quiet Revolution
Some of Synchron’s early users have passed away, a sobering reminder of ALS’s relentless nature. Yet their contributions are helping refine a technology that could redefine independence for people with severe disabilities.
For Jackson, the device isn’t just about communication, it’s about connection. It allows him to rejoin the digital world he thought he’d lost forever. And that, perhaps, is what makes Synchron’s story so powerful.
