The risks and challenges of neurotechnologies for human rights

Abstract

Do we need neurotechnology governance? The field of neurotechnology broadly encompasses any electronic device or method that can be used to read or modify the activity of neurons in the nervous system.Its potential to help cure mental illnesses and neurological disorders may amount to one of the most important medical achievements throughout history, opening a highway of hope for people suffering from diseases that go from Parkinson, Alzheimer’s, stroke and addiction to hearing loss and blindness. Recently, this technology has broken into the market leading to an increased availability of direct-to-consumer products that may be used for recreational and mental augmentation purposes. However, the effects of these technologies are still unclear and their unregulated use entail unprecedented risks for human rights related to freedom of thought, mental integrity and to some of its underlying pre-conditions such as dignity, identity or human agency. This publication compiles the viewpoints of several of the experts that participated in an international workshop in November 2021 to explore the risks of these brain technologies, and whether existing international legal frameworks are sufficient to protect human rights. Part I focuses on the science and technology advances and tries to convey both the fascinating opportunities and broad challenges that they pose, while Part II highlights the ethical aspects and human rights risks resulting from non-medical applications of neurotechnologies, while looking at the potential and limits of a multi-layered response to grant the needed protection. Catno. 0000384185