Page - 217 - in Cyborg Mind - What Brain–Computer and Mind–Cyberspace Interfaces Mean for Cyberneuroethics

Chapter 6 neuronAl interfACes And PoliCy I The important anthropological and ethical consequences resulting from the development of direct neuronal interfaces and the associated possibilities for the mind to interact with cyberspace cannot be evaded or ignored. These range from largely theoretical philosophical questions to practical concerns regarding possible inappropriate applications of present and future technolo- gies. As the European Parliament’s 2009 Science and Technology Options Assessment’s report entitled Human Enhancement Study indicated: [W]orries arise when one considers who is responsible for one’s actions, if these can be incited by technology-induced affective responses. Although there seems to [be] quite a huge gap between such worries and the scientific state of affairs, there are clearly moral worries along these lines that are already topical.1 In the use of neuronal interfaces, the medical principle of informed con- sent becomes a very difficult notion to define, as does the concept of moral responsibility for an action. Who should be held accountable for any resulting damage: the patient, the device or the healthcare professional who implanted it and turned it on? 2 The European Parliament report concludes: ‘Neurophilosophers, neuro- ethicists, neurosociologists and neurojurists are presented with a challenging case . . . What to think of “the self” if its essential attributes of mood and emotions can be manipulated at will.’ 3 So far, legislation regulating the actions and behaviour of persons has generally been restricted to human persons and is based on human rights 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.