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Experts Warn New Computers Could Delete Thoughts Without Your Knowledge

posted by CoolHand on Monday May 15 2017, @01:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the you-didnt-just-think-at-me-did-you dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

"Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind," wrote the playwright John Milton in 1634.

But, nearly 400 years later, technological advances in machines that can read our thoughts mean the privacy of our brain is under threat.

Now two biomedical ethicists are calling for the creation of new human rights laws to ensure people are protected, including "the right to cognitive liberty" and "the right to mental integrity".

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/delete-thoughts-read-your-mind-without-your-knowledge-neurotechnology-new-human-rights-laws-a7701661.html

Scientists have already developed devices capable of telling whether people are politically right-wing or left-wing. In one experiment, researchers were able to read people's minds to tell with 70 per cent accuracy whether they planned to add or subtract two numbers.

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  • (Score: 2) by BsAtHome on Monday May 15 2017, @02:34PM

    by BsAtHome (889) on Monday May 15 2017, @02:34PM (#510029)

    I'm not worried about "computers deleting thoughts". The human kind is doing quite a good job at it already. Ever heard of propaganda?

    Many people do not think for themselves and take for granted what you feed them. Where is the problem concerning computers? The process of influence has been perfected over many many years, predating the computer-era significantly. Are they arguing that robots are taking over the job to create the propaganda? Are the propagandists afraid of unemployment? What irony.

    I guess it would be more important to /educate/ people to be and think critical, but that would mean a change in governmental model...

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