Mind boggling thought-to-speech machine

We might not be as far from BrainPals (Brain embedded computers in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War novels). Boffins have already tested this thought-to-speech machine on humans. We live in interesting times… 

(PhysOrg.com) — The results of our study show that a brain-machine interface (BMI) user can control sound output directly, rather than having to use a (relatively slow) typing process …

By implanting an electrode into the brain of a person with locked-in syndrome, scientists have demonstrated how to wirelessly transmit neural signals to a speech synthesizer. The “thought-to-speech” process takes about 50 milliseconds – the same amount of time for a non-paralyzed, neurologically intact person to speak their thoughts. The study marks the first successful demonstration of a permanently installed, wireless implant for real-time control of an external device.

I am impressed and also a little scared, this might help a lot of people communicate better, but it could also be used for other things. Imagine having Microsoft windows running in your brain, that’s scary. What do you think?