Clinical Brain-Machine-Interfaces: Ethical Legal and Social Implications
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University of Tübingen, Department of Medical Ethics, Germany
Clinical applications of brain-machine interfaces promise unprecedented benefits for several patients severely suffering from different impairments including paralysis, locked-in syndrome and stroke. While potential benefits for patients is a strong argument a favor of these devices research and development of brain-computer interfaces as well as their application come with a variety of ethical legal and social implications. This paper will discuss questions of responsibility and liability in case of BMI-directed external effectors, implications on autonomy and self-determination in the context of BCI-mediated communication with severely paralyzed patients and those with impaired consciousness. Finally, this paper deals with the question weather these devices pose conceptual threats to our common understanding of a human being. Does brain-machine interfacing produce cyborgs or is this kind of technology just another step in human development and the evolution of tool use?
Conference:
2015 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces (CBMI2015), Tokyo, Japan, 13 Mar - 15 Mar, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Oral presentation / lecture
Topic:
Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces
Citation:
Clausen
J
(2015). Clinical Brain-Machine-Interfaces: Ethical Legal and Social Implications.
Conference Abstract:
2015 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces (CBMI2015).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.218.00002
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Received:
23 Apr 2015;
Published Online:
29 Apr 2015.
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Correspondence:
Dr. Jens Clausen, University of Tübingen, Department of Medical Ethics, Tübingen, Ba-Wü, 72076, Germany, jens.clausen@uni-tuebingen.de