Neural data may be the most precious commodity of the century

{"text":[[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":8.7,"text":"The writer is the Unesco director-general"}],[{"start":12.879999999999999,"text":"The brain is the last refuge of our private thoughts. Who can imagine being unable to keep one’s thoughts to oneself? While we remain far from true mind-reading technology, science has taken steps towards decoding our thoughts. Neurotechnology, a fast-evolving field dedicated to understanding the brain and creating technologies that interact with it, can access, assess and even manipulate our neural systems."}],[{"start":44.879999999999995,"text":"This year, neurotechnology took a leap forwards when Meta conducted a series of experiments integrating magnetoencephalography (MEG) — a brain scanning technology which measures the magnetic fields generated by brain activity — with generative artificial intelligence. Meta says it decoded “visual representations in the brain” with millisecond precision."}],[{"start":71.97,"text":"Growing numbers of people are using neurotechnology without being aware of how sensitive the data it collects is. Fitness, stress-tracking and other wellness applications integrated into smartphones or used in “wearable” form as headphones, earbuds, smart-glasses or wristbands capture a surprising amount of data on our state of mind, including on the brain’s levels of attention and focus, stress and anxiety, fatigue, relaxation and calmness, and positive or negative mood."}],[{"start":112.36,"text":"If data is the oil of the 21st century, then “brain” data is the crude oil. We need to guard it more jealously."}],[{"start":121.35,"text":"Right now, in most jurisdictions around the world, there is no law preventing tech companies from using our neurological data, let alone one prohibiting them from selling it to third parties."}],[{"start":135.69,"text":"Because brain patterns are unique to each individual, losing control of this data poses a direct threat to our mental privacy and our freedom of thought — two core human rights. Neurotechnology can manipulate our thoughts and mental states: side effects of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s patients shows it is possible to induce undesirable behaviours such as compulsive buying."}],[{"start":166.28,"text":"It is urgent that the world takes steps towards governing this powerful new technology. That’s why Unesco has developed the first global ethical framework for managing neurotechnology."}],[{"start":181.07,"text":"This month, member states adopted our Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology. It calls on governments to guarantee the fundamental right to privacy, including mental privacy by strictly governing the sale or sharing of highly sensitive neural and non-neural data which allows others to infer emotions, attention levels and other mental states."}],[{"start":209.14999999999998,"text":"Concretely, this means governments must treat such data as sensitive personal data, prohibit data collection through pressure, manipulation or by lack of genuine choice, or use it for advertising without consent. They must also promote privacy-by-design, encryption and secure data storage, and only enable cross-border data sharing with strong safeguards."}],[{"start":237.77999999999997,"text":"In addition to infringements on mental privacy, the Recommendation identifies other risks, particularly for children and young people, whose brains are still developing. Generally, Unesco advises against the use of neurotechnology for non-therapeutic purposes."}],[{"start":258.08,"text":"The Recommendation will also enable policymakers to harness the benefits of the technology. Neurotechnology has transformative medical uses: Sufferers of Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression hope that invasive and non-invasive neurotechnology could alleviate their symptoms. In the future, brain-computer interfaces may benefit people of reduced mobility by enabling them to control external devices, such as prosthetic limbs, using only their thoughts."}],[{"start":296.43,"text":"Unesco seeks to promote ethical reflection on the risks posed by emerging technology, and build consensus among our members states on how to mitigate these risks. In 2018, we launched a new global initiative to establish an ethical framework for AI, which led to the unanimous adoption of the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI in 2021. Unesco is now working with 80 member states to build and implement policies which promote fairness, inclusivity and sustainability across the entire AI lifecycle."}],[{"start":336.16,"text":"Now we will support our member states to review their policies, create road maps to address gaps and build their capacities to address the challenges posed by neurotechnology."}],[{"start":348.70000000000005,"text":"Hervé Chneiweiss, a neuroscientist, also contributed to this piece"}],[{"start":363.77000000000004,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1763283857_1022.mp3"}