Nataliya Kosmyna

A research scientist at MIT Media Lab and Google, Nataliya Kosmyna is one of the world’s leading voices on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The technology that connects the human brain directly to machines.

With a PhD in artificial intelligence and neuroscience, Kosmyna has spent the past 15 years decoding how brainwaves can power everything from drones and robots to smart homes. They even augment human focus, learning, and creativity. Her mission is to design a future where AI amplifies human intelligence. But her research issues an early warning.

If we let AI think for us, we may stop thinking at all. A recent MIT study led by Kosmyna used EEG brain scans to compare how people write essays using ChatGPT or Google versus their brains. The findings? AI tools like ChatGPT may make us quicker but also lazier, less original and less mentally engaged. As policymakers race to put AI in classrooms, Nataliya Kosmyna urges caution and evidence.

At MIT, Nataliya Kosmyna also develops wearable neurotechnology. Think brain-sensing headsets or “thinking hats” that respond in real time to what your brain is doing. Her work has helped paralysed patients regain autonomy, enabled students to boost concentration, and even let drivers’ brain activity prevent road accidents. Kosmyna’s technologies have been used in classrooms, hospitals, aerospace, and by over 15,000 real-world users. Her collaborators range from NASA and Boston Dynamics to Google, Meta, and Microsoft Research.

Nataliya Kosmyna serves as an advisor to UNESCO and UNICEF on the ethics of neurotechnology, and was named a Top French Innovator by MIT Technology Review. In 2016, she received the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award. She has been featured in The Economist, MIT Tech Review, ARTE, and France Culture.