Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human sciences believes that unless regulated properly and extensively, AI-powered BCIs like Neuralink can be used to read your thoughts, and even change the way you think
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO has expressed concern about the rapid progress of neurotechnology, accelerated by artificial intelligence, and its potential threat to human rights and mental privacy.
To address these concerns, UNESCO announced during an international conference in Paris that it will develop an “ethical framework” aimed at addressing the human rights issues raised by neurotechnology.
Nothing Short Of A Nightmare
During the event, Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human sciences, stated that we are heading towards a future where algorithms will allow us to decode people’s mental processes and directly manipulate the brain mechanisms that control their intentions, emotions, and decisions.
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“We are on a path to a world in which algorithms will enable us to decode people’s mental processes and directly manipulate the brain mechanisms underlying their intentions, emotions and decisions,” she said.
What this basically means is that by using BCIs or brain-computer interfaces, corporations, and possibly, even the government will not only know what and how you think, record your innermost thoughts, and possibly change the way you think, without you even realising it.
How do BCIs work?
Neurotechnology, broadly defined as electronic devices (including brain-computer interfaces and brain scanners) that interface with the brain or nervous system, has traditionally been used for medical purposes such as assisting paralyzed individuals in regaining movement, eyesight, or hearing.
However, recent advancements have raised concerns about its potential intrusiveness. A study with dystopian implications successfully combined a large language model AI with a functional MRI brain scan to read people’s thoughts and articulate them in written form.
The recent advancements in neurotechnology, made possible by the use of artificial intelligence, have raised concerns among experts regarding potential privacy issues. These advances, which enable the rapid processing of brain data, are seen as an intensified version of neurotech.
Mariagrazia Squicciarini, an economist specializing in AI at UNESCO, described it as neurotech on steroids, emphasizing the worry surrounding these developments.
Big Bucks For Your Thoughts
The significant amount of capital being invested in the neurotech industry is another cause for concern, echoing the unchecked growth and hype experienced by AI. The financial aspect often prioritizes interests other than those of the general public as we have seen with AI.
According to a UNESCO report co-authored by Squicciarini, between 2010 and 2020, investment in neurotechnology companies skyrocketed to over $33 billion, representing a 22-fold increase. Additionally, the number of neurotech patents doubled in just half that time period.
Leading the charge in this field in this particular regard is Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, which recently obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration to conduct human trials for its brain implants. Musk’s newly launched AI company, xAI, further reinforces the efforts of Neuralink. And even though Neuralink isn’t the first BCI company, it certainly is the most popular of them all, thanks to Muk’s involvement.
UNESCO acknowledges that neurotech has its positive aspects but emphasizes the lack of comprehensive regulations to address future challenges in this field.
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