Rafael Yuste, Professor, NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University and Neurorights Foundation
December 2, 7:00pm, Foege Auditorium (S-060)

NeuroRights: Human Rights Guidelines for Neurotechnology

The development of Neurotechnology, defined as novel methods to both record and alter
brain activity, is poised to have a transformative effect in science, medicine and society. At
the same time, neurotechnology, particularly when combined with AI, could have severe
ethical and societal consequences. In my talk I will review the proposal made by the
Morningside Group in 2017 to introduce new Human Rights into the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and provide ethical guidelines for neurotechnology development and its
deployment. These rights ("NeuroRights) protect mental privacy, personal identity and
personal agency, and guarantee fair access to cognitive augmentation and protection from
algorithmic biases. To help implement these rights, we propose to follow the medical
model, introducing a "Technocratic Oath" as a deontology in the neurotech and data
industry and using existing societal mechanisms similar to those already implemented in
the medical industry to regulate future development of Neurotech and AI. Finally, I will
discuss current advocacy efforts for NeuroRights in different countries, including Chile’s
recent NeuroRights constitutional amendment and bill of law, Spain’s Charter of Digital
Rights, as well as the United Nations.