Closed-Loop Neurotechnologies, Agency and Mental Interference

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ethics
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Closed-loop neurotechnologies offer potential treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions.
• The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into these devices raises ethical concerns regarding mental interference and user consent.
• The core ethical question revolves around the potential infringement of users' mental rights by AI-driven neurotechnologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical implications of AI in closed-loop neurotechnologies.
• To analyze the nature of the agential relationship between human users and these advanced devices.
• To determine whether AI-driven neurotechnologies can be considered moral agents capable of infringing mental rights.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of moral agency in relation to neurotechnology.
• Examination of the distinctness of AI-driven neurotechnologies from the human user as a moral agent.
• Exploration of different agential relationships between users and closed-loop neurotechnologies.

Main Results:

• The capacity of closed-loop neurotechnologies to infringe mental rights may depend on their status as moral agents.
• If these technologies are not moral agents or are not separate from the user's moral agency, they may be incapable of infringing mental rights.
• The user-device agential relationship is crucial for understanding the protection of mental rights.

Conclusions:

• The ethical concerns surrounding AI in closed-loop neurotechnologies are contingent on the technology's moral agency and its separation from the user.
• Understanding the agential relationship is key to safeguarding mental rights in the context of neurotechnological advancements.
• Further philosophical and technical inquiry is needed to establish clear ethical guidelines for AI-driven neurotechnologies.