As technology advances, it becomes increasingly connected with our quality of life; smartphones evolve every year to offer more features, wearable devices like watches and health apps make tracking our fitness and well-being easier, and even AI, despite current limitations, has been useful in preventive medical diagnoses. However, each advancement inches us closer to new ethical crossroads. We now have to ponder the viability of a new frontier: brain implants.
On June 2, Paradromics, an Austin-based neurotech startup, announced that it had completed its first in-human trials of a computer-to-brain interface. According to KVUE, the procedure involves what’s called the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). Paradromics CEO Matt Angle describes the Connexus BCI as a way to “help restore communication for people with severe motor impairments.” It uses artificial intelligence to read brain signals and “turn those signals into actions.” The report notes that the company plans for more surgeries soon and is aiming for a full clinical trial later in the year.
While the technology is far from being widespread, it’s important to understand the mixed implications.
What are Brain Implants?
The idea sounds like pure science fiction. There are pieces of technology you can surgically embed within your brain. Suddenly, your thoughts become data– your movements are the output, and man and machine are melded. It’s straight out of The Matrix, or an episode of Black Mirror. However, for some, it’s fiction no longer.
Brain, or neural, implants are devices placed in the brain designed to stimulate or record your neural activity. They usually resemble an array of microelectrodes attached to a specific brain region. It’s all controlled by a central unit that interprets and transmits the signals from the array and back to the brain. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), many implants are already in consumer use to help treat patients with severe epilepsy, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s, and even regulate certain psychiatric conditions like OCD.
BCI implants take it an extra step further. Devices such as those developed by Paradromics establish a connection between the implant and outside devices. This means that users can control something like a prosthetic limb with their thoughts alone. This is the goal of Elon Musk’s neurotech company, Neuralink, and their product, “Telepathy.” In an ABC7 report, the company aims to provide its first generation of implants to patients with paralysis or those who have lost their limbs.
The Ethical Logistics
On paper, the benefits are clear. Offering a better life for those with disabilities or neurological conditions is an ultimate win for humanity. However, the ethical and medical nuances go deeper.
First, the technology itself is still in its early stages. The nature of an implant requires it to have long-term function. However, the brain is a naturally stressful terrain. A study by the Delft University of Technology notes that the body is a corrosive environment, which naturally degrades the device. While studies are being conducted to make the device more resistant to bodily stress, findings are still in the research stage, and long-term durability remains a question.
Second, the procedure itself is a complex, invasive surgery. The body’s natural immune response is an obstacle that carries risks, as infection and tissue damage are long-term possibilities. As with any foreign object implanted in the body, inflammation and scarring may follow, which is especially dangerous for a sensitive area like the brain. There have been several concerns surrounding testing. According to a report by The Guardian, Musk and Neuralink faced federal pressure in 2022 for reportedly killing around 1,500 animals, including sheep, pigs, and monkeys, while testing their implant. While animal testing is part of medical advancement, such a large number raises moral questions about how implants progress.
Lastly, implants carry broader societal implications and debates. If brain implants extended beyond medicine and into the commercial sphere, questions about consent, autonomy, and regulation must follow. Is it possible for companies to collect data from your brain without your consent? Are you in charge of your thoughts? The potential for hacking, surveillance, and widespread misuse becomes an interesting thought process.
Public Perception
Though brain implants are far from commercial use, public opinion has begun to form. In a 2021 survey by Pew Research, Americans were asked about the concept of using brain implants to “more quickly and accurately process information.” Most U.S. adults (56%) said that widespread brain chip use to enhance cognitive function “would be a bad idea for society.” A large majority (78%) noted that they wouldn’t get a brain implant for themselves. Pew Research notes that survey participants believed that brain implants “meddled with nature” and “crossed a line we should not cross.”
However, this sentiment stems from the idea of recreational use over medical purposes. A similar large majority (77%) voted in favor of using brain implants to help people who are paralyzed or disabled. Conversely, most people were either opposed to or unsure about using brain implants to search the Internet or translate our thoughts.
Should We Be Worried?
Ultimately, the technology is still not a long-term issue within our cultural radar. For most, the technology, at its fullest potential, still feels closer to a sci-fi dystopian fantasy rather than real life. When Musk announced the success of Neuralink’s human trials, many responded with memes and skepticism. While it’s a funny thought now, the mere idea does beg certain questions about freedom. American culture heavily values autonomy and independence, things that directly contradict the idea of a brain implant.
Brain implants can be a miracle in medicine and technological innovation, but they come with ethical dilemmas and risks. As the technological barrier between science fiction and reality thins, it’s vital to have such conversations in the back of our minds.
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