The rapid development of the field of brain-machine interfaces and neuroprosthetics is gradually leading us to a revolution in the methods of treatment and support for paralyzed people. At the same time, these technologies in the future can find themselves more universal application and become a starting point for the further evolution of mankind and its transition to a new species - cyborgs. But before we reach such heights, we need to make sure that such neural devices are completely reliable, safe and completely protected from external influences - hacker attacks, to put it simply.
With dreams of our bright cybernetic future, researchers from the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Switzerland (Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering) published their work "Help, hope, and hype: Ethical dimensions of neuroprosthetics" on the Science portal. The task of its authors is not only to describe the opportunities that the field of neurotechnology will open before us, but also to raise public attention to the dangers that may lie in wait for us on the way to this ultra-high-tech future. And it is worth noting that the authors have developed several ways that will mitigate potential problems even before they arise.
Not to mention the rapid development of neurotechnology is becoming impossible today. Engineers and researchers are actively developing and improving brain-machine interfaces that will allow paralyzed people to regain control over their limbs, amputees - to effectively control robotic prostheses, and patients with speech impairment to restore the ability due to the ability to transmit their thoughts. Surprisingly, there is already a lot of progress in this direction. Scientists have created an exoskeleton that allows a person with paralyzed lower limbs to hit a ball. A paralyzed laboratory monkey was taught to control a wheelchair with his thoughts. The brain-to-brain interface being developed allowed a person to control the movements of other people's limbs. Each such technological breakthrough allows us to learn a little more about the brain and how it works. But more importantly, all of these technologies have the potential to restore autonomy and independence to amputees and paralyzed people.
It's time to say hello to the future: robots controlled by the human brain, as in the picture above, are already beginning to enter our daily life.
But all these technologies, unfortunately, have a downside. As director of the Wyss Center John Donoghue notes, serious ethical questions are starting to emerge around this area, and so it’s time to start thinking about how neuroprosthetics and the field of brain-machine interface development could face abuse in the future, as well as how this protect yourself.
“Despite the fact that we still do not fully understand how the brain works, we are getting closer to the point where we can adequately decode certain brain signals. Therefore, we must be aware of the impact all this can have on society,”comments Donoghue.
"We must carefully consider the likely consequences of living side by side with semi-intelligent machines controlled by the human brain, and must have ready-developed mechanisms that can convince us of their safety and compliance with our moral and ethical standards."
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The Wyss Center is concerned that with the wider integration of these neurodevices into our daily life, the capabilities of these instruments will expand. They will become more versatile. Already, brain-machine interfaces can be used in order to control a robotic arm to grab a cup or, looking at a computer screen, select a specific word in a text. But someday such devices, only more advanced, will be used both by an emergency worker to eliminate a dangerous gas leak, and by the mother of a child who does not have enough extra hands to calm her crying baby.
If something goes wrong in these cases, for example, the semi-automatic robotic arm of the worker turns the wrong crane or the mother accidentally drops her child from the robotic arms, it is important to ask yourself the question: where does the area of responsibility begin and end and who should be found guilty in such cases ? The legal system of the future will have to determine whether this is the responsibility of the manufacturer of the robotic product (a defect or software error was found in the design) or the user (misuse or external unauthorized influence on the integrity of the product design).
To minimize such potential problems, the authors of the work discussed today propose that any semi-autonomous system be equipped with an automatic blocking function and, in case of improper or unplanned use, be activated bypassing the direct brain-computer communication channel. If an artificial limb begins to perform actions that the user did not intend to perform, then such a "switch" will be able to independently make a decision to instantly deactivate the system, preventing potential trouble.
Another aspect of concern to researchers is the security of the user's privacy and the need to protect any personal information that would be recorded by such systems. It is very likely that systems based on the brain-computer interface will collect a variety of information about the user's neurological status, after which it will be transmitted to the computer. Naturally, such a scheme cannot but raise some concerns about the protection of confidential data. According to researchers at the Wyss Center, the information collected can be stolen and used inappropriately.
“Protecting private neurological information about people who are completely paralyzed and who use brain-computer interfaces as the only possible means of communication with the outside world is especially important,” says Niels Bierbaumer, senior research fellow at the Wiess Center.
“The successful calibration of brain-to-computer systems will depend, among other things, on how their brains respond to personal questions about their family, such as the name, age and marital status of children, and so on. For all people involved in this case, a strict system of protection of personal data must be provided, which will be required for the correct operation of the device's functions. We are talking about both information that will be clarified with the help of personal questions, and neurological information of the patient."
Even more worried, researchers at the Wyss Center are the possibility of digital hacking of a device connected to the brain by hackers, which could actually endanger the life of the device user. With the help of so-called "brain hacking", malicious manipulations with brain implants can be performed. Hackers will be able to gain control over the movements of human robotic limbs.
A possible solution to this problem will include an increased level of encryption of information, the creation of reliable network security and an open communication channel between the manufacturer of the product and its user. Most of these proposed measures will be challenging to implement, if only due to the likely lack of universal standards that will apply to security systems. Based on this, the specialists of the Wyss Center believe that the time has come now to start thinking about the ways that will allow everyone to coordinate and develop universal industrial standards for the development and integration of the necessary protective measures.
“Some of the fears that the authors of the paper point out may one day turn into real problems. Therefore, I agree that the development of some universal standards is necessary now, so that later we will not find ourselves in a situation when it will be too late,”comments Adam Kuiper, senior researcher at the Center for the Study of Ethics and Public Opinion.
And yet, Kuiper, who did not take part in the writing of the discussed work, is partially skeptical about the option in which someone even wants to hack the brain-computer interface of a completely paralyzed person or the interface used as a neural feedback channel between a person and training systems., that is, programs that use non-invasive methods of brain scanning, such as electroencephalography machines, systems for training their behavior, reducing stress, meditation, and so on.
“How can a hacker benefit from such a hack? Practically none. Of course, concerns about the security and protection of personal information can become an important subject in the future. But it seems to me that this is a premature conversation."
Kuiper adds that the heightened fears surrounding the introduction of brain-to-computer interfaces and semi-autonomous robots can be compared to the level of excitement in society about global robotization, which promises to be the next step in the development of our social life. And although Kuiper agrees with some aspects, in his opinion, the overall problem, at least for now, seems more far-fetched than real.
“The authors of the work believe that we should not greatly increase the medical literacy of the population and its awareness of the peculiarities of the functioning of neurophysiological systems that will be used in such types of prosthetics. But this is nonsense,”Kuiper says.
In his opinion, society itself is unlikely to show heightened interest in such highly specialized topics. Yet the specialist admits that it is often very difficult to find the right time to start a public dialogue on ethical and social issues about the massive integration of new technologies into our daily life.
“There is always the risk of making such statements too early, when we ourselves do not yet fully understand whether we really face a serious problem. There have already been such precedents. Take, for example, nanoethics, whose adherents a decade ago, without really understanding the issue, raised a fuss, saying that advanced nanotechnology would appear almost instantly, and even tried to build on this a real academic discipline. But in the end it turned out that the development of nanotechnology is a much more flexible and smooth process."
“I think that from this point of view, the authors of the work discussed today can only be praised. Praise for the fact that they express their fears not with radical statements, but with quite calm explanations,”comments Kuyper.
Of course, the Wyss Center researchers have raised a very important topic. Sooner or later, the technologies described today will find their way into our daily life and will serve as support not only for disabled, but also completely healthy people.
In the future, non-invasive brain-computer interfaces can be used to create a kind of telekinetic connection with the outside world, in which we can control the lighting in the house with our thoughts or at least just switch TV channels. In other words, further progress will be able to transform these technologies into a technological form of telepathy. As for the researchers from the Wyss Center, their key message is that we are prepared for this and be able to prevent the use of such technologies for malicious purposes.
NIKOLAY KHIZHNYAK