Understanding the Ethical Issues of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): A Blessing or the Beginning of a Dystopian Future? (Livanis et al., Cureus, 2024):

 

In recent years, scientific discoveries in the field of neuroscience combined with developments in the field of artificial intelligence have led to the development of a range of neurotechnologies. Advances in neuroimaging systems, neurostimulators, and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are leading to new ways of enhancing, controlling, and "reading" the brain. In addition, although BCIs were developed and used primarily in the medical field, they are now increasingly applied in other fields (entertainment, marketing, education, defense industry). [...] Among the ethical issues that emerged from the thematic data analysis of the reviewed studies included questions revolving around human dignity, personhood and autonomy, user safety, stigma and discrimination, privacy and security, responsibility, research ethics, and social justice (including access to this technology).[...]

Not surprisingly, developments raise concerns about how far this technology can go and what impact it will have on social, political, and religious norms. In that regard, discussions regarding the commercialization of brain data and the potential for manipulation of the human brain are likely to increase in the coming years. [...]

It is therefore imperative that the scientific, political, and business communities cooperate in order to indicate, through bioethics, the safeguards that will ensure the ethical design of the development, use, and management of BCIs. It is everyone's ethical duty to ensure that technological development benefits humanity. [emphasis added]