JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Given the recent evolution and achievements in Brain-Computer interface (BCI) technologies, understanding public perception and sentiments towards such novel technologies is important for guiding their communication strategies in marketing and education.

Objective:

This study aims to explore the public perception of BCI technology by examining posts on X (Twitter), utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods.

Methods:

A mixed-methods study was conducted on BCI-related posts from January 2010 to December 2021. The dataset included 65,340 posts from 38,926 unique users. This dataset was subject to a detailed NLP analysis including VADER, TextBlob, and NRCLex libraries, focusing on quantifying the sentiment (positive, neutral, and negative), the degree of subjectivity, and the range of emotions expressed in the posts. We utilized the Sentiment.ai tool to infer users’ demographics by matching pre-defined attributes in users’ profile biographies to certain demographic groups. We used the BERTopic tool for semantic understanding of discussions related to BCI. The temporal dynamics of BCI discussions on X were examined using the Mann-Kendall trend test to identify any significant trends or shifts in public interest over time.

Results:

The analysis identified a significant increase in BCI discussions in 2017. Sentiment analysis revealed most posts had neutral sentiments (59.38%), suggesting a predominantly uncertain public attitude towards BCI technology. Positive sentiments were reflected in 32.75% of posts, while negative sentiments comprised 7.85%. In terms of subjectivity, most of the posts were found to be objective (77.81%) in nature, with a smaller yet considerable proportion (22.02%) being subjective. Emotional analysis of the posts showed a complex emotional landscape, with anticipation (20.56%), trust (17.59%), and fear (13.98%) emerging as the most prominent emotions.

Conclusions:

The findings indicate a generally neutral but cautiously apprehensive public perception towards BCI. The notable presence of fear underscores the need for ethical considerations and transparent communication in the BCI field. These insights are important for BCI stakeholders, providing a nuanced understanding of public sentiment that could guide future marketing plans, policy-making, and communication strategies.