Davidoff Erika J
Rutgers University, Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Rutgers J Bioeth. 2020 Spring;11:9-20.
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are systems in which a user's real-time brain activity is used to control an external device, such as a prosthetic limb. BCIs have great potential for restoring lost motor functions in a wide range of patients. However, this futuristic technology raises several ethical questions, especially concerning the degree of agency a BCI affords its user and the extent to which a BCI user ought to be accountable for actions undertaken via the device. This paper examines these and other ethical concerns found at each of the three major parts of the BCI system: the sensor that records neural activity, the decoder that converts raw data into usable signals, and the translator that uses these signals to control the movement of an external device.
脑机接口(BCIs)是一种系统,在该系统中,用户的实时脑活动被用于控制外部设备,如假肢。脑机接口在恢复广大患者失去的运动功能方面具有巨大潜力。然而,这项未来技术引发了几个伦理问题,特别是关于脑机接口赋予其用户的代理程度以及脑机接口用户对通过该设备采取的行动应承担责任的程度。本文探讨了在脑机接口系统的三个主要部分中发现的这些以及其他伦理问题:记录神经活动的传感器、将原始数据转换为可用信号的解码器以及使用这些信号控制外部设备运动的转换器。