Neurotech Pub A Lawyer, a Philosopher, and Two Neurologists Walk Into a Bar…
Apr 6, 2021
Sydney Cash, epileptologist and MGH neurotech researcher; Leigh Hochberg, neurologist leading BrainGate trials; Timothy Brown, philosopher studying agency and BMIs; Amanda Pustilnik, law professor on brain, pain, and policy. They debate what makes neuroethics unique. They cover device versus drug tradeoffs. They dig into data privacy, legal protections, equity of access, coercion risks, and cultural impacts of BCIs.
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Neural Signals Are Ethically Different Because They Predict Action
- Neural data are temporally immediate and can reveal imminent actions in milliseconds, making them ethically and practically different from genetic information.
- That immediacy heightens concerns about prediction, intervention, and real-time decision-making.
Writing Into The Brain Amplifies Ethical Stakes
- Bi-directional intervention (reading plus writing) raises thornier issues than read-only neurotech because it can change identity, mood, and personality.
- Historical abuses in psychosurgery and past psychiatric interventions warn us about potential misuse as capabilities grow.
DBS Patients Say Devices Often Come After Long Drug Trials
- Interviewees using deep brain stimulation for essential tremor report long gated pathways to access, including many medications before device eligibility.
- Some patients wish they could have received the device earlier instead of exhausting drug regimens first.