Elon Musk's Neuralink has concerning lack of transparency and could be vulnerable to hacking, ethicists warn - Nueralink issues
- Shidonna Raven
- 21 minutes ago
- 1 min read
February 19, 2024
Source: Live Science
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
What other ethical issues does Neuralink's trial raise?
When brain-computer interfaces are used to help patients who suffer from disabling conditions function more independently, such as by helping them communicate or move about, this can profoundly improve their quality of life. In particular, it helps people recover a sense of their own agency or autonomy — one of the key tenets of medical ethics.
However well-intentioned, medical interventions can produce unintended consequences. With BCIs, scientists and ethicists are particularly concerned about the potential for identity theft, password hacking and blackmail. Given how the devices access users' thoughts, there is also the possibility that their autonomy could be manipulated by third parties.
The ethics of medicine requires physicians to help patients, while minimizing potential harm. In addition to errors and privacy risks, scientists worry about potential adverse effects of a completely implanted device like Neuralink, since device components are not easily replaced after implantation.
When considering any invasive medical intervention, patients, providers and developers seek a balance between risk and benefit. At current levels of safety and reliability, the benefit of a permanent implant would have to be large to justify the uncertain risks.
How can such practices impact your health? How Why?
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