Researchers have used artificial intelligence to improve how a brain implant stimulates the visual cortex of a blind person, potentially advancing the development of bionic eyes.

Artificial intelligence could make future bionic eyes more precise and responsive by improving how electrical signals communicate with the brain. In a study published in Neuron, researchers used deep learning to control brain stimulation in a blind man, producing more accurate neural responses with less electrical current.

The findings could advance visual prostheses that bypass damaged eyes and optic nerves, stimulating the visual cortex directly to generate perceptions of light.