Can Neurotechnology Already Read Our Minds?

Intelligence Squared

In this episode we bring you our event ‘The Battle for Your Brain’, recorded on the 2nd of May 2023.

Imagine a world where people who suffer from epilepsy receive alerts moments before a seizure, where the average person can peer into their own mind to eliminate painful memories and we can easily cure addictions. This is also a world where your brain could be interrogated to learn your political beliefs, your thoughts can be used as evidence of a crime, and your own feelings can be held against you.

One of the world’s foremost experts on the ethics of neuroscience, Professor Nita Farahany claims that neuroscience has already made all of this possible today, and neurotechnology will soon become the ‘universal controller’ for all of our interactions with technology. According to Farahany, the growth of commercial neurotechnology could be of immense benefit to humanity, but without safeguards, it could seriously threaten our fundamental human rights to privacy, freedom of thought and self-determination.

With our host Research Director for the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, Carl Miller, Farahany offers a path forward to navigate the complex legal and ethical dilemmas that will fundamentally impact our freedom to understand and define ourselves.

To hear the full length episode of this event and to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, head to intelligence Squared.com/members.

This event was produced by Executive Producer Conor Boyle with editing by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney.

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