Nonmedical devices that read brainwaves, such as smart headbands, headphones, and glasses, are becoming more popular among consumers. The products claim to make users more productive, creative, and healthier. IEEE Spectrum previewed several of these smart wearables that were introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Since the wearable, noninvasive neurotech products aren’t medical devices, they are not subject to the same forms of regulation—which can lead to gaps in their safety and data privacy, as well as their effect on users’ brains.
UNESCO in November adopted the first global ethical standard for neurotechnologies, establishing guidelines to protect users’ mental privacy, freedom of thought, and human rights. In 2019 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development issued responsible-neurotechnology recommendations. But there are no socio-technical standards for manufacturers to follow.
In response, the IEEE Brain technical community is developing the IEEE P7700 standard: “Recommended Practice for the Responsible Design and Development of Neurotechnologies.”
The proposed standard is being designed to provide a uniform set of definitions and a methodology to assess the ethical and socio-technical considerations and practices regarding the design, development, and use of neurotechnologies including wearable neurodevices for the brain, says Laura Y. Cabrera, the standard’s working group chair. Cabrera, an IEEE senior member, is an associate professor in the engineering science and mechanics department at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. Her research focuses on the ethical and societal implications of neurotechnologies.
“IEEE P7700 addresses the unique characteristics of the technology and its impact on individuals and society, in particular, as it moves from therapeutic users to a wide variety of consumers,” she says.
The standard is sponsored by the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology.
Concern over long-term effects
The multilayered complexity of technologies that interface with the brain and nervous system presents considerations to those developing them, Cabrera says.
“There may be long-term consequences in our brains with these types of technologies,” she says. “Maybe if they were used for a short period of time, there might not be significant consequences. But what are the effects over time?”
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