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The ethics of brain–computer interfaces

As technologies that integrate the brain with computers become more complex, so too do the ethical issues that surround their use.
  1. Liam Drew

    1. Liam Drew is a writer based in London.

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“It becomes part of you,” Patient 6 said, describing the technology that enabled her, after 45 years of severe epilepsy, to halt her disabling seizures. Electrodes had been implanted on the surface of her brain that would send a signal to a hand-held device when they detected signs of impending epileptic activity. On hearing a warning from the device, Patient 6 knew to take a dose of medication to halt the coming seizure.

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Nature 571, S19-S21 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02214-2

This article is part of Nature Outlook: The brain, an editorially independent supplement produced with the financial support of third parties. About this content.

References

  1. Gilbert, F. et al. J. Sci. Eng. Ethics 25, 83–96 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Klein, E. et al. Brain-Computer Interfaces 3, 140–148 (2016).

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  3. Anumanchipalli, G. K. et al. Nature 568, 493–498 (2019).

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