Predict and minimize potential unethical abuses of mind reading
For a long time, mind reading has been considered to be folklore. However, nowadays, many researches have proven that scientists are now close to knowing how our brain works.
Results of those researches on mind reading are promising. Those works might lead to the use of brain scans to recognize thoughts and might have applications in the study of diseases such as autism, paranoid schizophrenia, etc.
However, the development of those technologies also cause a lot of issues about the ethics and legality. We can present one example. Let's say you are shown with a series of photographs of people from around the world. And every time a black face appears, you get a different brain pattern. (That is, different from a baseline pattern.) Testers start to suspect that you are different in your reactions to blacks than you are to others -- or whatever the group is. Does it mean that this bubbles to the surface and you act in racist ways? May be yes and may be no.
Who should be tested with that technology and who will conduct the test? Can information from the test be used to judge the tested people? When will it be apply? There a lot of questions need to be answered before the application of it in practice. Here are some main issues.
The first is setting standards for what is ready to be used in the marketplace and what is not (Lou Marano, 2003). And scientists involve in researching, who understand deeply about the technology, rather than politicians, should set the standards. Moreover, only the government that should use this technology
The second issue is that of consent. The brain reading should only be conducted with the agreement of tested people, despite the case of hazardous criminals or international terrorists. In those cases, the government will consider whether to do the brain reading or not.
The third issue is access. After doing the brain reading, the information must be keep secret. Such information can only be access with permission from tested person or in case of emergency.
The fourth issue is judgement. Information from brain reading can only be used as reference. Judging a person need concrete evidences.
In conclusion, before applying brain reading technology, although it is ready or not, detailed discussions and a concrete law must be made.
Reference:
National Science Foundation. (2008, May 30). A computer that can “read” your mind [Press release 08-091]. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111641
Marano L. Ethics and mapping the brain (June 3, 2003), Washington Times
Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20030603-042704-2032r.htm
1 comment:
Brain scanning and predicting is really a very exciting technology that is coming in the near future. By using this technology, many things that are unable to solve or unable to solve well can have a better solution. Of cause, since this technology can also be used in some evil area, there must be many ethnical abuses. So it really needs some solutions. I totally agree with the solution and suggestion you mentioned in your essay. I hope every researcher can make up an effective way to solve the problem of ethnical abuse.
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