Page - 99 - in Cyborg Mind - What Brain–Computer and Mind–Cyberspace Interfaces Mean for Cyberneuroethics

Chapter 5 CyberneuroethiCs I Because of an increasing understanding in the way in which the brain func- tions, the development of ever more powerful computers, and advances in neuronal interface systems, direct interactions between the brain and com- puters, and between the mind and cyberspace are slowly becoming a reality. Of course, some of the present technology remains relatively crude and significant improvements will be required before more advanced neuronal interface appliances become available. But these will eventually be devel- oped, which means that an anthropological and ethical examination of these appliances is necessary in the light of potential benefits for either therapy or enhancement while seeking to understand and address possible future risks or harms. As the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated in 2017: The pervasiveness of new technologies and their applications is blurring the boundaries between human and machine, between online and offline activi- ties, between the physical and the virtual world, between the natural and the artificial, and between reality and virtuality. Humankind is increasing its abili- ties by boosting them with the help of machines, robots and software . . . A shift has been made from the ‘treated’ human being to the ‘repaired’ human being, and what is now looming on the horizon is the ‘augmented’ human being.1 In this regard, it is recognised that any innovative biotechnical procedures will always involve new ethical challenges, such as seeking to balance the This open access edition has been made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license thanks to the support of Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale.