Beijing, May 5 (Reporter Song Yusheng) "Brain-computer interface is currently developing rapidly in the fields of clinical treatment, commercial application and cognitive enhancement, brain-computer interface technology involves the functional exploration and intervention impact of the brain's advanced cognitive function and psychological state, so it should uphold the principle of people-oriented, the sustainable development concept of coordinated development of technology application and human prosperity, and fully consider the ethical, legal and social impact of brain-computer interface research and application." ”
At the parallel forum of "Brain-Computer Interface Innovation and Development" of the 5 Zhongguancun Forum held on May 29, He Jianghong, chairman of the Working Group on Science Popularization and Science and Technology Ethics of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry Alliance and chief physician of the Department of Neurosurgery of Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, issued the "Recommendations on Ethical Principles and Governance of Brain-Computer Interfaces".
Previous reports show that this is China's first ethical principles and governance recommendations for the field of brain-computer interfaces.
2023 Zhongguancun Forum "Brain-Computer Interface Innovation and Development" parallel forum site. Photo courtesy of the forum
It is clear that brain-computer interface is a new communication and control channel established between the brain and the external environment that does not depend on peripheral nerves and muscles, and can realize direct interaction between the brain and external devices.
With the continuous advancement of technology, the current brain-computer interface forms mainly include: brain-computer interface with active intention communication control, brain-computer interface for passive brain state monitoring, two-way brain-computer interaction formed by brain-computer interface technology combined with neurofeedback regulation technology, and brain-computer intelligence integrating human brain intelligence and artificial intelligence decision-making.
The Recommendation argues that the potential ethical risks of brain-computer interfaces include: security risks of neural intervention, risks of involuntary decision-making, risks of brain privacy leakage, attribution of responsibility, identity issues, human enhancement issues, and distributive justice issues.
Gu Xinyi, one of the core drafters and assistant researcher at the National Research Center for Information at Tsinghua University, said, "Ethical issues of brain-computer interfaces have gradually emerged in the clinical process, such as brain damage caused by surgical implantation of brain invasion, and the sense of self-alienation that brain stimulation may bring. At the same time, non-invasive brain-computer interfaces will gradually enter the field of commercial services and mass consumption, and for every brain-computer interface user, the most concerned ethical issues may focus on brain privacy protection ("brain reading") and autonomous decision-making ("brain control"). In the future, with the increasing maturity of technology, when brain-computer interfaces can achieve greater human cognitive enhancement, it will also involve discussions on the limits of 'human enhancement' and the fair distribution of technology. ”
Chen Haidan, one of the core drafters and a tenured associate professor at the School of Medical Humanities of Peking University, proposed that the development of brain-computer interfaces should abide by the four principles of bioethics, namely respect, no harm, benefit, and justice, and make every effort to avoid harm to users.
In this regard, the proposal points out that the development of brain-computer interfaces should follow the following ethical principles, namely the principle of non-harm, the principle of respect for autonomy, the principle of privacy protection, the principle of transparency and openness, and the principle of fairness and justice.
At the same time, the Recommendation also puts forward governance suggestions for the development of brain-computer interfaces, covering neural data governance, ensuring decision-making autonomy, safety and effectiveness verification, establishing accountability mechanisms, and fair and equitable distribution.
According to the proposal, the formulation of ethical principles and governance measures for brain-computer interfaces is a good start for responsible innovation of brain-computer interfaces, and it is more important to practice the principles from a technical and social perspective, and establish an effective evaluation mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the principles.
The Recommendation emphasizes that the lack of ethical application of brain-computer interface technology will greatly reduce public trust and acceptance of innovative technologies, and may have irreversible negative impacts on human society. Embedding ethical considerations throughout the life cycle of brain-computer interface products and services, and continuous multi-stakeholder collaborative governance, can ensure the balance between technological evolution and sustainable human development.
According to reports, on the one hand, the proposal aims to promote the application of the ethical governance system of brain-computer interface in scientific research, clinical and other scenarios to reach a broad consensus, on the other hand, it hopes to trigger more relevant parties to pay attention to brain-computer interface and actively participate in ethical co-governance. (End)
Search
copy