The Cajal of the 21st Century
We are in the midst of a biomedical revolution that will transform our understanding of life, health and disease. The brain is the next big challenge, and neurotechnologies are advancing thanks to international scientific collaboration and the development of artificial intelligence.
These advances will make it possible to better understand the mind, decipher thought and develop new treatments for neurological and mental illnesses. However, they also pose important ethical challenges, as they could alter fundamental aspects of what it means to be human.
For this reason, there is a need to promote new neuro-rights that protect human rights and ensure the responsible development of these technologies. This revolution has its roots in the pioneering work of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, whose discoveries laid the foundations of modern neuroscience.
NEURO-RIGHTS
01. Mental privacy
Any neurodata obtained by measuring neural activity should remain private. If stored, there should be a right to have it deleted at the subject’s request. The sale, commercial transfer and use of neural data should be strictly regulated.
02. Personal identity
We need to set boundaries to prevent technology from undermining our sense of identity. When neurotechnology connects individuals to digital networks, it could blur the line between a person’s consciousness and external technological inputs.
03. Free will
People should have complete control over their decision-making, free from any covert manipulation by external neurotechnologies.
04. Equitable access
Guidelines should be established at the international and national levels to regulate the use of neurotechnologies for cognitive enhancement. These guidelines should be based on the principle of fairness and ensure equal access.
05. Protection against bias
Measures to combat bias should be the norm for algorithms in neurotechnology. Algorithm design should incorporate input from user groups to fundamentally address bias.
