2. Introduction to
neurotechnology
The rapid advancement of neuroscience and neurotechnology in recent years has created opportunities
for collecting, storing and utilising neural data to decode and/or alter neural activity.37 Such applications
potentially have significant benefits for both individuals and the broader community. It is not
uncommon to see articles about positive impacts of the technology, such as people being able to walk
again38 or improving our understanding of how to treat chronic pain.39
Brain implants are not a fundamentally new
technology and have been used in medical
procedures for some time. For example, since
1997, deep brain stimulation has been eliminating
tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease via
electric impulses to the basal ganglia of the brain.40
The decoded brain activity produced:
However, as technologies improve, the potential
application of neurotechnologies multiplies. This is
especially so when BCIs are utilised in conjunction with
AI which, in combination, is still an emerging area.41
However, international focus goes beyond
neurotechnology utilising AI:
For example, a recent experiment has seen the
integrated use of neurotechnology and large
language models to translate brain activity into
words.42 In this experiment, AI was capable of
translating private thoughts into readable language
by analysing fMRI scans, which measure the flow of
blood to different regions of the brain.43
As part of this experiment, participants listened to a
recording while undergoing fMRI scans. Researchers
were interested in how closely the AI translation
reflected the actual recording. While most of the
words were out of place, the basic meaning of the
passage was largely preserved. Effectively, the AI
was paraphrasing.
The original transcript of the recording stated:
I got up from the air mattress and pressed my
face against the glass of the bedroom window
expecting to see eyes staring back at me but
instead only finding darkness.44
8
I just continued to walk up to the window and
open the glass I stood on my toes and peered
out I didn’t see anything and looked up again I
saw nothing.45
There have already been proof‑of‑concept
studies demonstrating brain‑to‑brain interaction
facilitated by neurotechnology.46
Scientists have recorded the neural activity of
individuals watching movies, and using that
neural activity, managed to play back hazy
images of the movie.47
Human brains have been directly connected to
cockroach brains. This allowed the human to
control certain behaviours, such as steering their
paths by thought alone.48
Invasive BCIs can also be used to control the
actions of laboratory animals such as mice. While
a mouse was engaging in a task, such as eating
food, a BCI recorded its neural data. That data
was then used to reactivate and stimulate the
same parts of the brain that were previously
recorded. This caused the mouse to eat again –
even if it did not want to eat.49
Researchers have found ways to use BCIs to
implant artificial memories or images into a
mouse’s brain – generating hallucinations and
false memories of fear.50
Protecting Cognition: Background Paper on Human Rights and Neurotechnology