In the case analysis, we saw that cognitive technologies don't only affect the brain of the individual using the technology, but potentially have many further-reaching consequences. What the world of tomorrow looks like will depend on the choices we make today. This is why we need to have an open discussion about what we, as citizens and educators, see as important issues and how we might deal with them.

In this last section, I would like to start this discussion. Based on the critical analysis of specific technologies in the previous sections, what do you consider to be important social or ethical issues? How should we deal with them?

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Activity (about 45 min): 

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1. Choose an issue that is particularly important to you. 

2. Read one of the papers suggested below about the social and ethical implications of the use of neurotechnologies on education. 

3. On the board below, add your issue (click on the + at the bottom right of the board) and explain why it is important. Suggest how we can deal with this issue. 

4. Discuss the other issues and suggested solutions in the comments. 

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Resources regarding ethical and social issues:

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‘Four ethical priorities for neurotechnologies and AI’ by Yuste et al. (2017) discusses the issues of privacy and consent, agency and identity, augmentation, and bias.

 

‘Neurocognitive enhancement: what can we do and what should we do?’ by Farah et al. (2004) focuses on the issues of safety, coercion, distributive justice, personhood and intangible values.

 

‘Preserving the Right to Cognitive Liberty’ by Ienca (2017) discusses the need to create a new right to protect our cognitive liberty.