Neurorights: A New Legal and Ethical Frontier

Authors

  • Fernando Guerrero Independent researcher, Colombia.

Keywords:

Neuroprosthesis, Human Rights, Neurotechnology, Psychological Integrity, Brain Privacy, Neuroethics, Neurorights

Abstract

Rapid advances in neurotechnology pose significant ethical and legal challenges related to privacy and mental integrity. In response, the field of "neurorights" has emerged to regulate the impact of these emerging technologies. This article analyzes the origin of the neurorights concept and its development as a new field of applied law and ethics. It explores the philosophical implications and risks to personal autonomy posed by controversial uses of techniques such as brain monitoring. It also examines current regulatory debates, focusing on the pioneering case of Chile. It concludes by highlighting the need for new legal frameworks and ethical commitments to guarantee respect for mental privacy and other fundamental human rights.

References

Bublitz, J. C., & Merkel, R. (2014). Crimes against minds: On mental manipulations, harms and a human right to mental self-determination. Criminal Law and Philosophy, 8(1), 51-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11572-012-9172-y

Cepeda, M.J. (2021). Proyecto de Ley Estatutaria de Neuroderechos. Gaceta del Congreso 690 de 2021. Congreso de la República de Colombia. https://www.camara.gov.co/proyecto-de-ley-estatutaria-neuroderechos

Constitution of the Republic of Chile. (2022). National Congress Library of Chile. https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1163991

Fenton, A., & Alpert, S. (2017). Extending the scope of neuroethics: A proposal for the ethical use of neuroscience in international security and diplomacy. Journal of Neuroethics, 10(2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-017-9321-z

Gilbert, F., Goddard, E., Viaña, J. N. M., Carter, A., & Horne, M. (2018). I spy with my little eye: The ethics of invasive neurotechnologies for augmenting human cognition. AJOB Neuroscience, 9(3), 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2018.1487202

Greely, H. T., Ramos, K. M., & Grady, C. (2021). Neuroethics in the age of brain projects. Neuron, 109(3), 398-410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.11.025

Henschke, A. (2018). Response and responsibility: Neuroethics as intercultural discourse. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 27(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180117000530

Ienca, M., & Andorno, R. (2017). Towards new human rights in the age of neuroscience and neurotechnology. Life Sciences, Society and Policy, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40504-017-0050-1

Illes, J. (2021). Neuroethics: Defining ethics in emerging neurotechnologies. Nature Reviews Neurology, 17(9), 515-516. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00526-5

Johnson, L. S., Rozzi, S., Fregni, F., & Haselager, P. (2021). An ethical framework for the responsible adoption of brain–computer interface technologies. AI and Ethics, 1(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00038-9

Kellmeyer, P. (2021). The ethics of neuroenhancement—20 years later. AJOB Neuroscience, 12(4), 210-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2021.1975128

Kondziella, D., & Hansen, S. N. (2021). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and brain data. Brain Communications, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcab178

Lampert, A. (2022). Neuroderechos en Chile: desafíos regulatorios. Revista Chilena de Derecho y Tecnología, 7(1), 105-117.

Lanzilao, E., Shook, J. R., Benedikter, R., & Giordano, J. (2022). Advancing neurorights: An international treaty proposal. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 31(1), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180121000681

Lavazza, A., & Gardella, E. (2019). Cerebral organoids: Ethical issues and consciousness assessment. Journal of Medical Ethics, 45(9), 606-610. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018-105153

Law No. 21,155. (2021). Regulates the protection and processing of personal data and creates the Personal Data Protection Agency. National Congress of Chile. https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1143981

Marks, J. H. (2020). Emerging human rights for neurorights and cognitive liberty. The Yale Journal of Law and Technology, 22(54), 54-123.

Musk, E., & Neuralink. (2019, July 16). An integrated brain-machine interface platform with thousands of channels. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/703801

Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile. (2022). National Congress Library of Chile. https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1163991

Pywell, S. E. (2021). On the borderland between neuroscience and law: On brain privacy and cognitive liberty interests. Brain Communications, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcac008

Racine, E., Jox, R. J., Illes, J., & Kondziella, D. (2017). Observations on neuroethics 1995-2015. AJOB Neuroscience, 8(2), 72-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2017.1320350

Ramirez, E. J. (2022). Neuroethics: Expectations and uncertainties for ethics in the development of neuroscience. Interdisciplinaria, 39(1), 203-219.

Rao, M., Umar, I., Khan, Z., Saleem, S., & Han, U. (2022). Neuroethics and neuro-rights discourses: A systematic review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.834408

Requena, C. (2022). Neuro-rights in Latin America. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(6), 581-588. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221103838

Rommelfanger, K. S., Jeong, S.-J., Ema, A., Fukushi, T., Kasai, K., Ramos, K. M., Salles, A., & Singh, I. (2018). Neuroethics questions to guide ethical research in the international brain initiatives. Neuron, 100(1), 19-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.021

Sententia, W. (2004). Neuroethical considerations: cognitive liberty and converging technologies for improving human cognition. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1013(1), 221-228. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1305.014

Tirosh, N. G., & Levallois, C. (2022). Neuroethics and responsible research and innovation in brain science. Neuroethics, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-022-09548-1

UNESCO. (2021). Draft text of a Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380455

Yuste, R., & Brayne, S. (2014). The future of neuroethics. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(13). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0519-1

Yuste, R., Goering, S., Bi, G., Carmena, J. M., Carter, A., Fins, J. J., Friesen, P., Gallant, J., Huggins, J. E., Illes, J., Kellmeyer, P., Klein, E., Maricle, D., Mitchell, C., Mukamel, R., Parens, E., Pham, M., Rubel, A., Sadato, N., ... & Schneider, W. (2017). Four ethical priorities for neurotechnologies and AI. Nature, 551(7679), 159-163. https://doi.org/10.1038/551159a

Downloads

Published

2024-02-10

How to Cite

Guerrero, F. . (2024). Neurorights: A New Legal and Ethical Frontier. Multidisciplinary &Amp; Health Education Journal, 6(1), 979–991. Retrieved from http://journalmhe.org/ojs3/index.php/jmhe/article/view/128