Will Language Perish When Communication Can Directly Transmit Thoughts via 'Brain-Computer Interfaces'?

Hey, this is a particularly fascinating question—it feels like a classic sci-fi movie scenario. If one day we could really "send thoughts" like sending a WeChat message, would we still need to speak or write?

My view is: Language won't die out, but its form and function could undergo dramatic transformations.

Let’s explore this topic from a few angles:

Why Language Is Unlikely to Disappear?

1. Thoughts Are Chaotic; Language Is an "Organizing Tool"

Have you ever had multiple thoughts flash through your mind at once? For example, thinking about dinner while recalling a meeting, listening to music, and suddenly remembering you forgot to reply to a friend.

Our thoughts are chaotic, jumpy, and nonlinear. They’re filled with images, sensations, emotions, and fragmented ideas. Language is the tool we use to package, organize, and encode this chaos into logical, structured messages before sharing them.

Analogy: Your mind is like a room cluttered with random objects, while language is how you sort those objects into labeled boxes before handing them to someone else.

If we transmit thoughts directly via "brain-computer interfaces," it might be like smashing the entire messy room into the recipient’s mind. They’d receive raw, unprocessed data—potentially confusing or even incomprehensible.

2. Language Carries Emotion, Art, and Aesthetics

Language isn’t just a tool for conveying information; it’s an art form.

• Poetry: Uses refined language to evoke imagery and beauty.
• Fiction: Builds entire worlds and moving stories through words.
• Humor and wordplay: Delights through clever linguistic twists.
• Speeches: Captivates audiences with tone, pauses, and phrasing.

These can’t be replaced by "pure thought." The feeling of hearing "I love you" differs vastly from receiving a direct "love" brainwave. Language’s charm lies in its subtlety, ambiguity, and creative space, while raw thought transmission might feel overly blunt and cold.

3. Language Is Core to Culture and Identity

The languages and dialects we speak are tied to our upbringing, cultural roots, and identity. Words like "jianghu" (江湖), "yuanfen" (缘分), and "filial piety" (孝顺) in Chinese carry deep cultural weight—impossible to fully convey with a simple "thought signal."

A global "thought protocol" for communication would devastate human cultural diversity.

4. Privacy and the Need for "Inner Monologue"

We all need a private mental space. We use language internally for thinking, self-dialogue, and even self-criticism—known as "inner monologue."

If communication were fully transparent, every fleeting thought—immature, rude, or dark—could be "read" by others. Language provides a buffer, letting us filter and refine ideas before speaking.

How Might "Brain-Computer Interfaces" Change Communication?

Language won’t vanish, but it will evolve. Future communication will likely become hybrid:

• Supercharged tool: Brain-computer interfaces could act as language "super-enhancers." For example, enabling instant translation—you think a complex idea in Chinese, and the recipient’s device translates it into their language or even sensory signals.
• Expanding language’s dimensions: Saying "I had fun at the beach today" could include "attachments" of the scenery, sound of waves, and ocean breeze via thought transmission, making communication unprecedentedly rich.
• Revolution for special needs: For people with conditions like ALS (e.g., Stephen Hawking) or those who’ve lost speech, brain-computer interfaces could restore their ability to communicate—a monumental leap forward.

To Sum Up

So, back to the original question: Will language die out?
Probably not.

Language is like the operating system of human civilization—it shapes how we think, our cultures, and our identities. Brain-computer interfaces will likely follow the path of writing, printing, and the internet: becoming a powerful new tool that enhances and expands language, not replaces it.

In the future, we might still use language to tell stories, joke, and fall in love—but we could also "send" the genuine warmth of a smile or the hazy fragment of a dream. That world would embrace richer, more diverse ways to connect.