What happens if neurotechnology goes too far and how to prevent it?
Technologies that directly affect the nervous system are no longer fiction. A number of companies are developing them, hoping to help patients with serious neurological diseases. For example, Elon Musk's Neuralink recently received permission to test a miniature implant that connects the brain to a computer.
There are also non-invasive devices like EEG headsets that record brain activity. They are used not only in medicine, but also, for example, in the fields of entertainment and education.
Progress has raised concerns about the privacy and autonomy of our thoughts. Who will have access to the collected information? Can such mechanisms interfere with people's ability to make independent decisions?
In July 2023, the UN Agency for Culture and Science held a conference on the ethics of new technologies, calling for the creation of rules to protect cognitive human rights. Some experts even suggested recognizing a new category of "neurolegislation". In 2021, Chile was the first country to include provisions on the powers of neuroengineering in its constitution.
The concerns stem from the idea that recordings of brain activity can "read" a person's thoughts and feelings. Indeed, some devices record the work of neurons with high accuracy. There is no clear answer as to whether this is possible.
Tracking internal processes is not so straightforward. The information is filtered and processed by algorithms before the results are returned. Usually, only data that is needed for specific purposes (for example, medical purposes) is collected.
The risks are similar to the usual cyber espionage and automatic wiretapping through browsers and gadgets. Even the browser history on a PC can reveal sensitive information.
Do not forget that behavioral and physiological factors, as well as context, are equally important. This makes it harder to read minds. However, artificial intelligence would be able to combine evidence from different sources to draw conclusions.
Another discussion concerns cognitive freedom — the rights of a person to think independently and control their mental functions. Proponents of this concept believe that people need to learn how to regulate neurotechnology so that attackers cannot "get" into the victim's mind and manipulate it.
How autonomous is our thinking? To what extent is it already subject to technological influence?
These are important issues that will require even more new research.
Technologies that directly affect the nervous system are no longer fiction. A number of companies are developing them, hoping to help patients with serious neurological diseases. For example, Elon Musk's Neuralink recently received permission to test a miniature implant that connects the brain to a computer.
There are also non-invasive devices like EEG headsets that record brain activity. They are used not only in medicine, but also, for example, in the fields of entertainment and education.
Progress has raised concerns about the privacy and autonomy of our thoughts. Who will have access to the collected information? Can such mechanisms interfere with people's ability to make independent decisions?
In July 2023, the UN Agency for Culture and Science held a conference on the ethics of new technologies, calling for the creation of rules to protect cognitive human rights. Some experts even suggested recognizing a new category of "neurolegislation". In 2021, Chile was the first country to include provisions on the powers of neuroengineering in its constitution.
The concerns stem from the idea that recordings of brain activity can "read" a person's thoughts and feelings. Indeed, some devices record the work of neurons with high accuracy. There is no clear answer as to whether this is possible.
Tracking internal processes is not so straightforward. The information is filtered and processed by algorithms before the results are returned. Usually, only data that is needed for specific purposes (for example, medical purposes) is collected.
The risks are similar to the usual cyber espionage and automatic wiretapping through browsers and gadgets. Even the browser history on a PC can reveal sensitive information.
Do not forget that behavioral and physiological factors, as well as context, are equally important. This makes it harder to read minds. However, artificial intelligence would be able to combine evidence from different sources to draw conclusions.
Another discussion concerns cognitive freedom — the rights of a person to think independently and control their mental functions. Proponents of this concept believe that people need to learn how to regulate neurotechnology so that attackers cannot "get" into the victim's mind and manipulate it.
How autonomous is our thinking? To what extent is it already subject to technological influence?
These are important issues that will require even more new research.
