Would you ever believe that one day you will be able to read people’s imagination? While it may sound absurd for now, this may not merely be a pipe dream with neurotechnologies! Neurotechnology is technology that offers deep insight into the brain and nervous system or influences the function of the brain and nervous system. The swift development in neurotechnologies has brought brain research to a new dimension, used for research purposes in various fields such as medicine. Concurrently, neurotechnologies have garnered attention for their innovative brain-computer interfaces and AI systems. However, researchers are starting to urge more stringent ethical guidelines for neurotechnologies, considering the potential impact on humanity, to regulate any “epigenetic consequences, neuropsychiatric complications, and biohacking” (Al-Rodhan, 2021).
Author: Yeeun Lee
Editor: Jiho Jang
Neurotechnology operates by using neural interfaces (devices that interact with the nervous system) in order to read and write information into the three nervous systems: central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS), and autonomic nervous system (ANS) (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.). Broadly, there are three types of neurotechnologies and each serves a different function and purpose. First, neuromodulation technologies use neural interfaces to influence nervous system structures and control neural activity. Neuromodulation can be utilized for deep brain stimulation to reduce tremors (an involuntary quivering movement) in Parkinson’s disease or for spinal cord stimulation to relieve chronic pain. Second, neuroprosthetics is an artificial, or prosthetic, brain that can restore the sensory, motor, or cognitive functions of the brain (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.). A well-known example of a neuroprosthesis is cochlear implants used by people with hearing loss. Third, brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) allow the subjects to control external software by reading and writing information into the brain. Since neurotechnologies are still in their infancy (early stages of development), BMIs are not widely utilized and applied in practical contexts. Still, the technology itself holds enormous potential to be used by people with motor disabilities to control their own neurological activities.
Neurotechnologies pave the way for better treatments for mental and neurological disorders, movement disorders, and sensory disorders (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.). Also, they increase the chances for humanity to devise a treatment for irremediable neurological and psychiatric disorders. Beyond such medical applications, neurotechnologies can potentially advance human experience and functioning in copious ways. For example, neurotechnologies can enhance the quality of education, develop physical abilities like motor coordination of military soldiers, or conduct monitoring of the physical well-being of athletes (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.).
Despite the advantages, many researchers raise concerns regarding the ethics and legality of neurotechnologies. As neurotechnologies operate by modifying the activity of the human brain and nervous system, there can be unexpected consequences from carrying out research using them. For instance, during intracranial electrode implantation, the electrodes are placed inside the subject’s skull to monitor seizures which can potentially harm the subject’s brain. The damage to the brain can perpetually change one’s thought patterns or behavior, eventually leading to the alteration of one’s identity. Also, the connection between the brain and external software allows researchers to take absolute control of a subject’s emotions and control devices (What Are Neurorights, n.d.). They can instigate different mental states within the subjects; in other words, dominate the mind of the subjects. As neurotechnologies continue to develop, the bidirectional interface will become more powerful and become capable of more than simply stimulating parts of the brain and nervous system and analyzing the subject based on the neural signals. Moreover, no baseline parameters and expectations for minimal tissue damage, safe implementation techniques, and long-term safety are set for the use of neurotechnologies (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.). More attention should be brought to the lack of legal restrictions and standardized systems for data security and privacy of the application of neurotechnologies in research (Neurotechnologies: The Next, n.d.). Overlooking potential legal issues may inadvertently lead to bigger risks and consequences in the future as neurotechnologies will more actively be exercised for data collection and management.
Issues regarding neurorights are highly debated around the world. Taking the issues into consideration, on September 29th, 2021, the lawmakers in Chile approved the implementation of a law establishing neurorights, the rights to personal identity, free will, and mental privacy (NeuroRights in Chile, n.d.). Later, in October 25th, 2021, Chile has pioneered a constitutional amendment to protect privacy of brain activity and information together with The Neurorights Foundation. Chile became the first country to legislate a law on the usage of neurotechnology to protect the fundamental human rights against bias and discrimination as well as the manipulation of brain activity. Even though the concept of neurorights is nascent, advocates believe that it will naturally become distinct over time as more neuro technological advances occur.
So.. do the consequences of neurotechnologies outweigh the benefits of neurotechnologies? Nobody can give a definitive answer to this question as there is more to discover and reveal regarding the use of neurotechnologies. Yet, it is true that neurotechnologies are the next technology frontier that can improve numerous aspects of human life. The debate about the significance of neurotechnology development is ongoing and with the arising of Elon Musk’s Neuralink, the topic is hotly debated more than ever before. Ending the article, I would like to ask for your opinion. Do you think neurotechnologies are worth it?
Reference:
Al-Rodhan, N. (2021, May 27). The Rise of Neurotechnology Calls for a Parallel Focus on Neurorights. Scientific American. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-rise-of-neurotechnology-calls-for-a-parallel-focus-on-neurorights/
NeuroRights in Chile. (n.d.). The Neurorights Foundation. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://neurorightsfoundation.org/chile#:~:text=Dec%2016th%2C%202020,human%20brains%20in%20harmful%20ways.
Neurotechnologies: The Next Technology Frontier. (n.d.). IEEE Brain. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://brain.ieee.org/topics/neurotechnologies-the-next-technology-frontier/
What are neurorights and why are they vital in the face of advances in neuroscience? (n.d.). Iberdrola. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/neurorights#:~:text=Neurorights%20can%20be%20defined%20as,its%20activity%20as%20neurotechnology%20advances.
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