Ihuman Neural Interfaces Report
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iHuman Blurring lines between mind and machine PERSPECTIVE Emerging technologies As science expands our understanding of the world it can lead to the emergence of new technologies. These can bring huge benefits, but also challenges, as they change society’s relationship with the world. Scientists, developers and wider society must ensure that we maximise the benefits from new technologies while minimising these challenges. The Royal Society has established an Emerging Technologies Working Party to examine such developments and create perspectives. Neural interfaces Neural interfaces, broadly defined, are devices that interact with the nervous system of an individual. More specifically, the term is frequently used to describe electronic devices that are placed on the outside or inside of the brain or other components of the central and peripheral nervous system, such as nerves and links between nerves and muscles, to record or stimulate activity – or both. Interfaces placed inside the brain or body are known as internal, invasive or implanted technologies, as opposed to external, non- invasive or wearable devices. The Royal Society expects that neural interface technologies will continue to raise profound ethical, political, social and commercial questions that should be addressed as soon as possible to create mechanisms to approve, regulate or control the technologies as they develop, as well as managing the impact they may have on society. Supplement materials and references are available online at royalsociety.org/ihuman-perspective PERSPECTIVE – iHuman 3 iHuman: blurring lines between mind and machine Issued: September 2019 DES6094 ISBN: 978-1-78252-420-5 © The Royal Society The text of this work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. The license is available at: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Images are not covered by this license. This report can be viewed online at royalsociety.org/ihuman-perspective Contents Why neural interfaces matter – message from the Co-Chairs ...............................................6 Summary .....................................................................................................................................................9 Visions and challenges of neural interfaces .............................................................................. 12 Reality check – could this actually happen? ................................................................................ 18 Neural interfaces now – where we are on the journey .......................................................... 20 Timeline ................................................................................................................................................24 Non-invasive and invasive technologies .................................................................................. 28 On, off and aha – how neural interfaces work ........................................................................... 34 Stroke treatment – how neural interfaces support rehabilitation ........................................ 36 Cochlear implants – the world’s most widely used implant .................................................. 38 Brain games – interface-controlled games ................................................................................. 40 Powering up the brain – enhanced multitasking ...................................................................... 42 Wiring spaghetti – the technological challenges of taking brains online ......................... 44 Merging our intelligence? – NI and AI .......................................................................................... 48 Neuroscience – what do we know, what don’t we know, what are neuroscientists now focused on? ..................................................................................50 Investment in interfaces – how much is being spent? .......................................................... 52 UK strengths – the UK and neural interface technologies ................................................... 54 The next frontiers ................................................................................................................................. 58 What’s probable by 2040? ............................................................................................................ 58 What’s possible beyond 2040? ................................................................................................... 60 Drivers – what could make the possible actual? ....................................................................... 62 Mental health – how interface technology can help .............................................................. 64 The ethics of neurotechnology – ethical questions raised by neural interfaces ......... 66 Sharing thoughts – are neural interfaces currently capable of ‘mind reading’? ........... 72 The regulation of neurotechnology – what should be allowed? ........................................74 Mollii Suit ..................................................................................................................................................78 Neural interfaces and the future of emerging technology regulation ............................80 A call to action – principles and practices .................................................................................. 83 Why neural interfaces matter MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS Our society documents its history in As co-chairs, we come to this project as terms of technological milestones: the specialists in the relatively new discipline From the wheel stone, bronze and iron ages; the industrial of medical engineering – working at the to the algorithm, revolution that transformed how we use border between electrical engineering humans have energy and work; and the digital era that and medicine. We create cochlear has transformed how we communicate implants for children who are born deaf, innovated by and connect. This briefing examines the artificial pancreases for type 1 diabetics, using our brains potential for a new era, that of neural wireless heart monitors and neural to create new technology – and explores how to deal stimulators that reduce food cravings to technologies. with the future risks and opportunities. combat obesity. We conduct leading- edge research into implantable devices to Now, we are From the wheel to the algorithm, humans restore hearing, sight and movement. turning that have innovated by using our brains to process inside create new technologies. Now, we are From this front line, we can see how turning that process inside out – using the technologies we work with could out – using external technologies to transform our mature and expand massively in the external brains. It is very new and very different. coming decades, often overtaking technologies pharmaceuticals in efficacy. Indeed, in to transform With artificial intelligence (AI) spreading many cases, interfaces offer hope where fast, much of the technology world’s drugs have failed, such as in cases of our brains. attention is still focused on the digital drug-resistant epilepsy or depression. revolution, including the ‘Internet of Things’ that is linking physical assets to At the same time, we are acutely aware networks. But neural technology could of the challenges, particularly when bring about even more profound change introducing external technologies into – linking the cognitive power of the the brain; the body’s most complex and human brain to the processing power of least understood organ. machine learning and supercomputing. 6 PERSPECTIVE – iHuman Today, we are at the start of that journey. building structures and systems needed Neural interfaces are like computers in to realise the opportunities, manage Neural the 1970s; innovation and investment will the risks and address the fundamental lead to smaller, more powerful and more questions. That is why we have produced interfaces are usable devices. this briefing, together with the more like computers detailed papers and other communications in the 1970s; In medicine, the big questions are around that accompany it. The Royal Society also how to make life-changing technologies commissioned an independent programme innovation and available to more people. Beyond of public dialogues across the UK on the investment will medicine, the questions extend to the topic that has illustrated that people are lead to smaller, ways in which the whole of society may interested in the subject and keen to be more powerful change. Interfaces offer benefits that are involved in debating and shaping the as unimaginable today as the smartphone policy response. and more was a few decades ago. Better health. usable devices. Better memory. Better concentration. This Perspective starts by looking at Healthier ageing. A more collaborative what the long-term destination of this world. But they also pose new risks: the journey could look like, in terms of both risk of thoughts or moods being accessed benefits and risks. It examines how neural by companies, governments or others; interfaces are already being used today, risks to privacy and human rights; and with some case studies, before reviewing the risk of widening social inequalities. the current state of neuroscience, how Widespread use of neural interfaces may the key technologies work and how they pose more fundamental issues for society.