Events

Recent years have seen significant progress in brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs), which are systems that record neural signals from the brain and translate them into output. Once the domain of science fiction, iBCIs have enabled individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injuries to interact with computers, produce speech, and control robotic limbs—just by using their thoughts. Yet the emergence of iBCIs as a novel class of therapeutics raises a distinct set of ethical challenges. This talk will provide an overview of recent advances in iBCI research and highlight key ethical issues, such as device abandonment and post-trial responsibilities, privacy of neural data, and the increasingly blurred lines between medical and non-medical applications.

Anna Wexler is an Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where she studies the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding emerging health technology, with a particular focus on neuroscience applications. Dr. Wexler is the recipient of a 2018 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award and a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics. She received her Ph.D. from MIT in the HASTS (History, Anthropology, Science, Technology & Society) Program. Her essays have been published in outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Slate, and STAT. Prior to her Ph.D., Dr. Wexler worked as documentary filmmaker and science writer.