A group of researchers in Japan says it has developed a method to reconstruct images from people's brain activity using generative AI technology.

The group includes researchers from the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, or QST, and other organizations.

The researchers recorded neural signals of human beings as they viewed various landscapes and objects.

Then they quantified the physical characteristics of actual images into numeric values and developed a unique program that translates neural signals into numeric values.

The program makes it possible to convert imagined images of landscapes or other objects into numeric figures. Artificial intelligence then undergoes a revision process to reproduce the mental images.

The group says it is the first time that anyone has succeeded in reconstructing imagined images.

QST researcher Majima Kei says humans have used microscopes and other devices to view a world that was invisible to the naked eye, but they have not been able to step inside a person's mind. Majima says this is the first time for humans to peer inside another person's mind.

The group hopes the findings will lead to the development of new devices that allow the brain to convey people's intentions without using words or gestures. The researchers also hope the study will lead to understanding the mechanism of hallucinations and dreams.