Emiel Hassefras
In recent years research on brain computer interfacing has strongly developed. For the future a logical next step is the interface between two brains or brain-to-brain communication. Sounds a bit scary! So which values have to be taken into consideration before it can be accepted by the market? What kind of development approach is needed?
Brain to brain interfacing is a combination of brain computer interfacing (BCI) and then again computer brain interfacing (CBI). First a message is in the form of a brainwave signal is received by an EEG. Next these pulses are converted with a processing tool to a digital signal. The signal is transmitted via the Internet to a receiver worn by another person. This received digital signal is transformed to magnetic stimuli with a TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation, rig. This TMS is a relative new technology, which has the big advantage that for CBI your doesn’t have to be opened to implant some electrodes.
Though there are some technical issues, because we don’t know how the brain encodes information yet. This described TMS uses the binary system stimulating the visual cortex. So by seeing a light flash the system means gives a signal 1 and by seeing no light flash the system gives the signal 0. So by decoding these zeroes and ones the recipient can “read” the message. So there has to be some improvement in the decoding the brain activity. Furthermore the EEG can be made in a portable size, but the TMS rigs are still big.
This technology can be used for good purposes like as a telepathy system for sending simple thoughts to relatives or later on as a high-end way of knowledge sharing. On the other hand there might be concerns with values privacy when this technology develops. It is a scary idea that another person can access your thoughts, what is for now your really own private space.
The further design of this innovation has to be done in value-sensitive way. So concerning privacy, norms must state that you are in all times in charge of your own brain. This can be translated in design requirements like an on and off button of when your are connected to this brain-to-brain interface network. Also supporting this norm there has to be a design requirement that states there has to be a strong security system, which prevents intruders getting into your brain, that cannot be hacked.
To me this is an interesting piece of technology that may be a key solution for communication problems between humans, so for me it is desirable to develop this technology further. But the values privacy and safety has to be concerned in a very responsible manner. You must in all times be self in charge of your own brain and you have to have control of what of your brain is displayed to the rest of the world. Only then there is a possibility that this technology will be accepted by the market.