Neuroethics

Through advancements in neuroscience, our understanding of the brain is constantly improving — and with it technologies to monitor and manipulate it.

They aid the diagnosis and treatment of disorders but could also be potentially abused.

Neuroethics addresses ethical questions at the intersection between neuroscience, technology and society at large.

Core Themes

Neurotechnology

We have been able to electronically stimulate brains as early as the 50s. Since the late 80s, we have been implanting electrodes in deep brain areas to treat Parkinson’s Disease or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
More recently, the rise of Brain-Computer Interfaces has to lead to numerous applications including prosthetic arms and Elon Musk’s infamous Neuralink Brain Chip.
Neuromarketing

More and more companies are using neuroscientific methods in order to market their products – and thus entering (or manipulating) the subconscious of their consumers.

Similar methods are used in Social Media apps, which are deliberately designed to activate our reward circuitry, making us prone to smartphone addiction.
Neurolaw

The age of lie detectors in the courtroom is over, giving way to brain imaging technologies. These could be used to assess the credibility of statements, brain abnormalities affecting culpabilities and the risk for recidivism.

In the U.S., hundreds of pieces of neurological evidence are used every year to inform judicial decisions. Does having the brain of a killer make you less liable? Is that justified?
Neuroprivacy

Mind reading is closer to reality than you may think. Meta is funding research on technologies for mind-controlled typing. We are already reconstructing vision from brain activity.
This raises privacy concerns of a whole new dimension — our thoughts. Can we protect our mental integrity?
Neurorights

Through policy, we should ensure responsible usage of neurotechnology and freedom of thought. And things are slowly moving in the right direction.

In 2019, the OECD adopted the Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology. In 2021, Chile became the first nation to have brain activity protected in its constitution.
Neuroenhacement

Be it Coffee, Coca Leaves or Khat — humans have been consuming stimulants to improve their wakefulness, attention and mood for centuries. Today, drugs like Adderall, Ritalin or Modafinil are used as smart drugs for the same reasons.
Concurrently, the increasing availability of non-invasive neurostimulation tempts many to test their neuroenhancing properties.

Is this safe? If yes, should (or must) we all enhance our brains?

“Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull. ”

― George Orwell, 1984

I am co-heading the Neuroethics Cycle at the Institute for Internet & Just Society, an interdisciplinary think tank focused on fair artificial intelligence, inclusive digital governance and human rights in digital spheres. You’ll find some of my work below.