New Frontiers of the Mind: Enabling responsible innovation in neurotechnology

Co-authored by Hermann Garden, Policy Analyst, OECD
New Frontiers of the Mind: Enabling responsible innovation in neurotechnology
Like

This article is part of the Forum Network series on DigitalisationThe Forum Network is the place for you to debate policies that can shape the issues and challenges of our time with other experts and engaged citizensJoin for free using your email or social media accounts to share your stories, ideas and expertise in the comments!


Banner image: Pawel Szvmanski 

Scientists have spent decades trying to unlock the mysteries of the brain, in an effort to better diagnose and treat some of the most confounding diseases and disorders. Now, thanks to groundbreaking developments in brain science and neurotechnology, they seem closer than ever before. 

Fueled by the convergence of neuroscience, engineering, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), these technologies have tremendous potential to improve health, well-being and productivity across the globe – and their effects are already being felt. Brain computer interfaces and new imaging approaches have opened up new avenues for diagnosis, monitoring, prevention and therapy in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases; and brain implants are already being used to stimulate neural activity in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are even working to embed neurons and brain-like structures within computer chips that could provide a new way to conduct pre-clinical tests and diagnostics.

How to be Human: The Manual by Ruby Wax, Actress; Comedian; Mental Health Campaigner; Lecturer; Author

How to be Human: The Manual by Ruby Wax, Actress; Comedian; Mental Health Campaigner; Lecturer; Author

These innovations could deliver far-reaching benefits – nearly 19 million people live with dementia across the OECD – but they also pose serious risks. As neurotechnologies continue to evolve, concerns have been raised around privacy, human enhancement and the regulation and marketing of direct-to-consumer devices. There are also important questions around inequalities of use and access to these technologies.

Find out more about the OECD's work on dementia and read the OECD Policy Brief Renewing priority for dementia: Where do we stand?

Amid this rapidly shifting landscape, governments and innovators have sought guidance on how to foster responsible innovation in neurotechnology. How can we continue to reap the benefits of these innovations, while mitigating the new risks that they present?

A new set of OECD principles sets out a way forward. On 11 December 2019 we adopted the Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology, the first international standard in this domain. It aims to help governments and innovators anticipate and address the various ethical, legal and social challenges raised by new neurotechnologies, while still promoting innovation in the field. The underlying aim is not to constrain technology, but to shape pathways that enable it.

Governance in neurotechnology has implications across the entire innovation pipeline, from fundamental brain research and cognitive neuroscience to questions of commercialisation and marketing. 

At the core of the Recommendation are nine principles: 

  1. Promoting responsible innovation
  2. Prioritising safety assessment
  3. Promoting inclusivity
  4. Fostering scientific collaboration
  5. Enabling societal deliberation
  6. Enabling capacity of oversight and advisory bodies
  7. Safeguarding personal brain data and other information
  8. Promoting cultures of stewardship and trust across the public and private sector
  9. Anticipating and monitoring potential unintended use and/or misuse. 

Although the Recommendation is not binding, it nevertheless marks an important step forward for the 36 OECD member countries that have adopted it and the others that will soon join. Governance in neurotechnology has implications across the entire innovation pipeline, from fundamental brain research and cognitive neuroscience to questions of commercialisation and marketing. To that end, the Recommendation is aimed not only at governments, but also universities, companies and investors – all of whom play a key role in ensuring the responsible development and governance of neurotechnologies. As countries continue to accelerate investment in this field through programs such as the EU Human Brain Project, the Recommendation and the principles it outlines should help them to put societal needs front and centre. 

Follow the OECD on Twitter and keep up to date on how we promote better policies for better lives

The Recommendation is more than an ethics statement: it also addresses economic development and innovation policy. In many ways, it can be seen as a companion to the OECD AI Principles adopted earlier this year as they both underscore the importance of innovating in a socially responsible matter – innovating for innovation’s sake is no longer enough. And, like AI, neurotechnology is a broad field with implications for sectors as diverse as gaming and advertising. The OECD Recommendation focuses on health-related neurotechnology because of its outsize potential to advance our understanding of human cognition and behaviour. 

How Inequalities are Driving a Global Youth Mental Health Crisis by James Da CostaY7 Delegate, United Kingdom

How Inequalities are Driving a Global Youth Mental Health Crisis by James Da Costa, Y7 Delegate, United Kingdom

Going forward, the OECD will provide a forum for exchanging information on neurotechnology policy and experiences as countries work toward implementing the Recommendation. This kind of multilateral co-operation and dialogue will be crucial as neurotechnology continues to disrupt existing practices and redraw traditional boundaries between medical therapies and consumer markets. Given the nature of economic markets, technological spillover, and global science practice, one could argue that the governance of technology actually needs to be international in order to be effective.

The OECD has long been at the forefront of developing effective principles and guidance for governments and stakeholders alike – and we look forward to helping countries as they navigate and explore new frontiers in the human mind.     

Related Topics

Artificial Intelligence Health

Your comments are what make the Forum Network the unique space it is, connecting citizens, experts and policy makers in open and respectful debate. Whether you agree, disagree or have another point of viewjoin for free using your email or social media accounts and comment below!

Please sign in

If you are a registered user on The OECD Forum Network, please sign in

Go to the profile of Myong Hwa Lee
over 4 years ago

Congratulations!  The Recommendation would be one of the most valuable work the OECD has done.