Abstract
The field of neuroethics has had to adapt rapidly in the face of accelerating technological advancement; a particularly striking example is the realm of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). A significant source of funding for the development of new BCI technologies has been the United States Department of Defense, and while the predominant focus has been restoration of lost function for those wounded in battle, there is also significant interest in augmentation of function to increase survivability, coordination, and lethality of US combat forces. While restoration of primary motor and sensory function (primary BCI) has been the main focus of research, there has been marked progress in interface with areas of the brain subserving memory and association. Non-Primary BCI has a different subset of potential applications, each of which also carries its own ethical considerations. Given the amount of BCI research funding coming from the Department of Defense, it is particularly important that potential military applications be examined from a neuroethical standpoint.
Highlights
Military imperatives have driven medical advances and allowed for rapid implementation and evaluation of new practices (Beekley et al, 2007; Haider et al, 2015)
The field of neuroprosthetics and brain computer interface (BCI) is another area where a significant funding pool has come from Department of Defense sources, in particular the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (Miranda et al, 2015)
This presents an area of significant opportunity for national defense and human neuroscience; it raises several potential ethical issues that should be explored before the technology has already transitioned to the domain of military application
Summary
Military imperatives have driven medical advances and allowed for rapid implementation and evaluation of new practices (Beekley et al, 2007; Haider et al, 2015). This presents an area of significant opportunity for national defense and human neuroscience; it raises several potential ethical issues that should be explored before the technology has already transitioned to the domain of military application.
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