Brain-Computer Interfaces: Current and Future Investigations in the Philosophy and Politics of Neurotechnology

Important insights have been generated by ethicists, philosophers, sociologists, lawyers, and representatives from other disciplines regarding the ethics of neurotechnology in general and of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in particular. However, since (medical) BCIs have yet to leave the laboratory and the context of clinical studies and enter the “real” world, many important normative questions remain unanswered. In this paper we summarize the main lines of ethical inquiry regarding BCIs, both from the general academic discussion and with a view on the results gained in INTERFACES, an interdisciplinary project on the normative dimensions of BCIs. Furthermore, we offer our perspective on future research and argue that the ethics of technology should explore decision-making processes by which communities and societies regulate emerging technologies, such as BCIs.