Unesco Adopts Global Standards On 'Wild West' Field of Neurotechnology

Unesco has adopted the first global ethical standards for neurotechnology, defining 'neural data' and outlining more than 100 recommendations aimed at safeguarding mental privacy. 'There is no control,' said Unesco's chief of bioethics, Dafna Feinholz. 'We have to inform the people about the risks, the potential benefits, the alternatives, so that people have the possibility to say 'I accept, or I don't accept.'' The Guardian reports: She said the new standards were driven by two recent developments in neurotechnology: artificial intelligence (AI), which offers vast possibilities in decoding brain data, and the proliferation of consumer-grade neurotech devices such as earbuds that claim to read brain activity and glasses that track eye movements.

The standards define a new category of data, 'neural data,' and suggest guidelines governing its protection. A list of more than 100 recommendations ranges from rights-based concerns to addressing scenarios that are -- at least for now -- science fiction, such as companies using neurotechnology to subliminally market to people during their dreams. 'Neurotechnology has the potential to define the next frontier of human progress, but it is not without risks,' said Unesco's director general, Audrey Azoulay. The new standards would 'enshrine the inviolability of the human mind,' she said.

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