We engage the United Nations, regional organizations, national governments, companies, entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, and the public at large to raise awareness about the human rights and ethical implications of neurotechnology.

OUR STORY BEINGS IN 2017

OUR STORY

MORNINGSIDE GROUP - COLUMBIA WORKSHOP

An intensive three-day workshop at Columbia University brought together academic leaders to discuss ethical concerns of neurotechnology and machine intelligence. From the workshop, a new human rights framework, called "NeuroRights", emerged.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S NEURORIGHTS INITIATIVE

The NRI was founded two years later at Columbia University, to serve as an advocacy organization for human rights directives, and to develop further ethical guidance for neurotechnological innovation.

FORMATION OF THE NEURORIGHTS FOUNDATION

l'he NeuroRights Foundation was founded, incorporating NRI into it

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IN CHILE PROTECTS BRAIN ACTIVITY

Historic moment for NeuroRights! A constitutional amendment in Chile protects brain activity and information. Unanimous approval by all deputies in both chambers, along with the approval of the neurorights bill by the senate.

FILMING OF THE WERNER HERZOG FILM

We have worked with the renowned documentary filmmaker who will be launching a filming on neurotechnology and human rights at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

CREATION OF OF NEUROAGE

Launch of our new media property and magazine, “NeuroAge”.

Frameworks to inform Neurotechnology policy 

NeuroRights Protection

The NeuroRights Foundation’s first goal is to protect the human rights of all people from the potential misuse or abuse of neurotechnology.

We are working to incorporate five specific Neuro-Rights that have been identified as especially critical into international human rights law, national legal and regulatory frameworks, and ethical guidelines.

The Five NeuroRights

  • Mental Privacy

    Any NeuroData obtained from measuring neural activity should be kept private. If stored, there should be a right to have it deleted at the subject's request.

    The sale, commercial transfer, and use of neural data should be strictly regulated.

  • Personal Identity

    Boundaries must be developed to prohibit technology from disrupting the sense of self.

    When neurotechnology connects individuals with digital networks, it could blur the line between a person’s consciousness and external technological inputs.

  • Free Will

    Individuals should have ultimate control over their own decision making, without unknown manipulation from external neurotechnologies.

  • Fair Access to Mental Augmentation

    There should be established guidelines at both international and national levels regulating the use of mental enhancement neurotechnologies.

    These guidelines should be based on the principle of justice and guarantee equality of access.

  • Protection from Bias

    Countermeasures to combat bias should be the norm for algorithms in neurotechnology.

    Algorithm design should include input from user groups to foundationally address bias.

Technocratic Oath

The NeuroRights Foundation’s second goal is to pre-empt and reduce the risk of the misuse or abuse of neurotechnology.

We are drafting an ethical framework for entrepreneurs, scientists, companies, and investors, and others developing neurotechnology called the Technocratic Oath. Much as doctors must follow the Hippocratic oath, those who develop and administer neurotechnology would be urged to support the “technocratic oath.”