"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".
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.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday May 16 2017, @08:37AM (1 child)
The problem scenario is that Facebook starts to sell these new neurotypist headsets that enables users to type using their thoughts.
Presumably there is some restraint in the "thoughts" any given person types onto a page, if the first thing that comes to mind gets posted, there could be some repercussions. Also, Facebook already records what is typed and erased without posting, do we want to let them deeper into people's minds?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday May 16 2017, @08:21PM
The problem is not that you accidentally types something bad. Rather its that the neuro-interface will mess with your thinking right away.