Keynote Presentation: A Cross-Contextual Approach to Neurotechnologies

Neurotechnologies come in a wide variety of forms in order to assist and treat a wide variety of conditions—as neuroprostheses for amputees to fully-implanted systems for managing psychiatric conditions. These neurotechnologies are developed and used in complex, entertwined interpersonal and sociopolitical contexts. The complexity of neurotechnologies and the social contexts they impact make it difficult to track and understand the moral issues arising from their intersection. In this presentation, Dr. Tim Brown (University of Washington School of Medicine) will propose a “cross-contextual” framework for understanding the unique ethical challenges of neurotechnologies. This framework uses socioecological lens to understand how different aspects of neurotechnologies create challenges across overlapping social contexts. He will then use this framework to consider difficult, near-future neuroethical problems—like how big data analytics and artificial intelligence will impact neurotech users, their communities, and care providers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the basics of how brain-computer interfaces impact the experience of users.

2. Discuss the meanings of the key terms: sociotechnical system, socioecological model.

3. Review key strategies for addressing across social contexts.