The Interplay of Computing, Ethics, and Policy in Brain-Computer Interface Design

TL;DR

This paper explores how ethical, legal, and policy considerations influence the design of brain-computer interfaces, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between technical architecture and societal frameworks.

Contribution

It uniquely analyzes the interplay between BCI design choices and ethical, legal, and policy constraints, a perspective not previously detailed.

Findings

BCI design decisions impact ethical and legal frameworks

Ethical considerations can constrain or expand BCI capabilities

Policy implications are integral to BCI architecture development

Abstract

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) connect biological neurons in the brain with external systems like prosthetics and computers. They are increasingly incorporating processing capabilities to analyze and stimulate neural activity, and consequently, pose unique design challenges related to ethics, law, and policy. For the first time, this paper articulates how ethical, legal, and policy considerations can shape BCI architecture design, and how the decisions that architects make constrain or expand the ethical, legal, and policy frameworks that can be applied to them.