Neuroethics Inside and Out: A Comparative Survey of Neural Device Industry Representatives and the General Public on Ethical Issues and Principles in Neurotechnology

Abstract

Neurotechnologies are rapidly being developed with the aim of alleviating suffering caused by disease and assisting individuals with various disabilities. As the capabilities and applications of neural devices advance, potential ethical challenges related to agency, identity, privacy, equality, normality and justice have been noted. We sought to explore attitudes toward these ethical challenges in two important, but understudied groups of stakeholders—members of the neural device industry and members of the general public. Survey responses from 66 industry professionals and 1088 members of the general public who do not work with neural devices were collected. After controlling for demographic differences between the groups (industry vs. general public; age, gender, racial/ethnic background), we found a large degree of consistency between the groups in their attitudes toward the ethical topic areas and the need for guiding ethical principles, but also some differences related to privacy, consent, and confidence in the neural device industry to incorporate ethical concerns into the design process. These data have implications for industry professionals tasked with designing and disseminating new neural devices, end-users of their products, and stakeholders at each step in between who must navigate the rapidly-growing landscape of advances in neurotechnology.

Keywords:

• Brain computer interfaces
• neuroethics
• neurotechnology

This article is referred to by:

Addressing and Managing Systemic Benefit, Burden and Risk of Emerging Neurotechnology

Commercialization, Consent, and the Neural Device Industry

The Quantified Scientist: Citizen Neuroscience and Neurotechnology

On the Relevance of Experimental Philosophy to Neuroethics

Are Neuroethicists Confident That the Neural Device Industry Incorporate Ethical Concerns into the Design Process? Is Everything for Sale Even Highly Sensitive Data?

Ethical Challenges in the Commercialization of Neurotechnology: Contending with Competing Priorities

Recognizing a Plurality of Industry Perspectives in the Responsible Innovation of Neurotechnologies

Additional information

Funding

The present research was financially supported by National Institute of Mental Health; National Science Foundation.