16-11-2023 15:00
Neurotechnology and neurorights - Privacy's last frontier

Workshopper STOA

We witness a rapid multidisciplinary convergence between Artificial Intelligence and new neurotechnologies that enable recording or even altering human neuronal activity. While greatly advancing brain science and neural engineering, this convergence also raises concerns about surveillance, subliminal manipulation of preferences, and the collection of brain and mental information.

As a response to these concerns a new concept of neurorights has emerged. Neurorights could be defined as ethical, legal, social or natural principles of freedom or entitlement related to a person's cerebral and mental domain. Following neurotechnology governance efforts from governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental institutions, the current round table will discuss the open issues and the future of neurorights. It will address questions such as: What are the gaps in existing legislation of human rights? Can the EU's privacy framework, including the EU AI act, accommodate neurorights? Can "cognitive liberty" be enshrined as a fundamental human right? How can we achieve responsible innovation in neurotechnology? How new neurotechnologies governance could alleviate risks of external manipulation but also bring new opportunities such as mental empowerment?

PROGRAMME

Moderator: Prof. Guilherme WOOD, University of Graz

15.00 - 15.05 Opening

Ivo HRISTOV, MEP and STOA Vice-Chair

15.05 - 15.35 Keynote

'Digital manipulation risks in the light of neurorights'
Marcello IENCA, Professor of Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Deputy Director of the Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, Technical University of Munich; Head of the Intelligent Systems Ethics Group, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne.

15:35 -16:35 The new risks and misuses of emerging neurotechnologies

'Protecting neurorights before it's too late: Chilean example'
Trinidad SAONA, First Secretary, Mission of Chile to the European Union

'Invasive Neurotechnologies: what are the ethical limits when hacking our nervous system?'
Ander RAMOS-MURGUIALDAY, Leader of Neuroprosthetics at Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen; Leader of Translational Neuroscience, TECNALIA Basque Research and Technology Alliance

Where sub-personal and personal identity meet: anticipating the future of biometric technologies
Ophelia DEROY, Chair of Philosophy of Mind, Faculty of Philosophy, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

'Neuroenchantment, real risks of neurotechnologies, and neurorights'
Guilherme WOOD, Professor of Neuropsychology, University of Graz

Q&A

16:50 - 17:00 Closing remarks

Ivo HRISTOV, MEP and STOA Vice-Chair


The event will be held in English, with interpretation in FR.