Historical and Current Developments in Neurotechnologies
Neurotechnologies have come a long way since the development of electroencephalography (EEG).
Invented a hundred years ago, the EEG has had a significant impact on our knowledge of the human brain and various treatments of brain disorders.
Many researchers expect that soon there will be wearable EEGs that could directly assist human cognitive functions.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has also kindled hope about using brain-computer links to help physically impaired people restore some lost function.
The 1990s was popularly known as the ‘decade of the brain’ as research on neuroscience and neurotechnologies received a big boost from various governments.
The European Union’s ‘Human Brain Project’ and the subsequent ‘BRAIN’ initiative were some of the major initiatives.
Today, research in these areas is also supported by private companies, especially in the life sciences sector, and is also more extensive than before, including brain pathophysiology, deep-brain stimulation, and neuromarketing
Ethical Concerns and Governance
The right to think freely and the right to safeguard one’s mental statuses and thoughts from surveillance and monitoring are precious fundamental rights but technological advancements may cheapen them in some contexts.
Experts strive to adopt ethical standards such that humankind benefits most from the use of neurotechnologies while minimising harm.
This is the principal concern of neuroethics.
It has emerged as an important field of research and action in the last two decades.
Various institutions and funding agencies have tried to identify and enforce ethical principles for neuro-X research and development
In 2019, the OECD recommended nine principles to ensure the ethical development and use of neurotechnologies based on the concept of responsible innovation.
Two of them were “safeguarding personal brain data” and “anticipating and monitoring potential unintended use and/or misuse”.
Neurorights
Internationally accepted human rights principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide some inkling as to individuals’ neurorights.
But the extent to which they are enforceable depends on the laws in each jurisdiction.
In 2021, Chile became the first country to legally recognise its citizens’ neurorights when its Senate agreed to amend the constitution
Challenges
An important challenge to developing suitable neuroethical standards is that the underlying technologies are evolving rapidly.
The contexts in which people use these technologies are also diverse, beset by disparate expectations and cultural norms.
Way forward
For now, UNESCO has appointed an expert group to develop the “first global framework on the ethics of neurotechnology”, expected to be adopted by the end of 2025.
While this framework is not likely to result in a treaty or a binding convention, it could have a major impact on governments’ guidance documents and policy narratives.
Apart from UNESCO, various intergovernmental organisations are also actively working on the human rights dimension of neurotechnologies.
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