Your unconscious brain predicts words just like an LLM
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine just discovered that the human brain continues advanced language processing even under general anesthesia. Using Neuropixels probes in the hippocampus, the team found neurons actively distinguishing parts of speech and predicting upcoming words in stories—mirroring the predictive coding behind LLMs. The findings challenge assumptions about consciousness and could advance brain-computer speech prosthetics.