Panel Discussion ‘Neurotech Now, and Beyond the Horizon’

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) offer the opportunity to control devices directly with the brain. Brain-controlled devices can return communication to those without speech, memory function to those with hippocampus damage, while prosthetic limbs controlled via the brain continue to develop at a pace. In the future, these technologies may also open doors to enhancements of the scope of human abilities beyond that which we generally expect.

This panel explores the state of the art in BCIs: What ethical issues arise with these technologies? How ought they to be understood, in terms of personal identity, or moral responsibility? Extending into the future, how might BCIs feature in human enhancement? Based in what we know already, we will set out to speculate about 'beyond the horizon', emerging BCI technologies and how to prepare for them.