The International Conference on Ethics of Neurotechnology
organized by UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, gathered leading academics, politicians, industry stakeholders and members of the public at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris on 13 July 2023.
This progress is a cause for celebration – and a reason for caution. We must safeguard ethical standards and ensure the full protection of human rights.
Centred around the effort to “build a framework to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms”, the event marked a significant milestone.
Participants agreed on the need for a comprehensive governance framework to harness the potential of neurotechnology and address the risks it presents to societies. Speakers also expressed their support for the development of a global normative instrument and ethical framework similar to UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
Groundbreaking developments in neurotechnology offer unprecedented potential. But we should remain aware of its negative impact if it is employed for malicious purposes. That is why we must act now to ensure it is not misused and does not threaten our societies and democracies.
Approximately 1000 participants followed a ministerial session, fireside chats and two expert panel discussions on the latest developments in neurotechnology and related ethical and governance issues.
The conference opened with a keynote introduction from Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, and an address by Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres.
We need to follow an ecosystems approach…the private sectors and the investors who are investing in the startups need to be engaged and to be brought into this discussion early, so that the standards we create and the recommendations we make are designed to be impactful not only for today but into the future.
After the opening session, Hervé Chneiweiss, eminent professor, neuroscientist and former Chairperson of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC), and Emily Cross, Professor of Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at ETH Zurich and a current member of the IBC set the scene and presented the key findings of the IBC’s report on the ethical issues of neurotechnology.
The event then proceeded with a Ministerial panel moderated by Mathieu Guevel, Director of UNESCO’s Division for Communications and Public Engagement, featuring Emilija Stojmenova Duh, Minister of Digital Transformation in Slovenia; Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Spain; Carolina Gainza, Chilean Under-Secretary, Science, Technology, Innovations and Knowledge; Basma Al-Buhairan, Advisor at the Research Development Innovation Authority and Managing Director for the Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution, Saudi Arabia; and Assistant Director-General Gabriela Ramos.
Ministers and representatives shared their experiences protecting human rights and ‘mental identity’ against abuse from scientific and technological advancements. Many emphasized that using ethics as a guide to govern neurotechnology is essential to ensuring privacy, transparency, fairness and equity.
Responsible neurotechnology requires more than leaving it up to individuals to read the conditions. It needs a strong normative framework that prompts governments to create a market where companies are incentivized to apply human values.
During two expert roundtables and fireside chats, prominent speakers, including Rafael Yuste, Professor of Biological Sciences and Neurosciences and Nita A. Farahany, Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law, highlighted the transformative opportunities that neurotechnology can provide for various industries. In healthcare, neurotechnology could revolutionize treatment for neurodegenerative diseases and mental health conditions, while also aiding rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries. In education, it could enable personalized learning through real-time cognitive assessments. In gaming and entertainment, it could facilitate immersive experiences via brain-computer interfaces. Amidst these prospects, experts underscored the need for robust governance frameworks to support ethical innovation.
The conclusion [of our research analysis of the consumer user agreement of 18 major neurotechnology companies in the world] is that there is a complete lack of protection, in fact, you cannot imagine less protection to brain data.
The discussions were timely, given that research and neurotechnology developments have skyrocketed since 2000, as highlighted by UNESCO’s report “Unveiling the neurotechnology landscape: scientific advancements, innovations and major trends” that was launched at the conference. The publication presents new evidence about the types of neurotechnology under development, the field’s leading innovators and major trends.
The report also formed the basis for a fireside chat moderated by Mariagrazia Squicciarini, Chief of Executive Office and Director a.i. of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector. There, speakers addressed the role of the private sector in the ethical development of these technologies.
Closed by Dafna Feinholz, Chief of UNESCO's Section for Bioethics and the Ethics of Science and Technology and Hervé Chneiweiss, the conference will serve as a strong foundation for concerted action to advance governance structures for an ethical approach in neurotechnology.
