We are on the cusp of an explosion of cheap,  consumer-ready neurotechnology - from earbuds that gather our behavioral data,  to sensors that can read our dreams. And it’s all going to be supercharged by AI. This technology is moving from niche to mainstream - and it has the same potential to become exponential. Legal scholar Nita Farahany talks us through the current state of neurotechnology and its deep links to AI. She says that we urgently need to protect the last frontier of privacy: our internal thoughts. And she argues that without a new legal framework around “cognitive liberty,” we won’t be able to insulate our brains from corporate and government intrusion.RECOMMENDED MEDIA The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology by Nita FarahanyThe Battle for Your Brain offers a path forward to navigate the complex dilemmas that will fundamentally impact our freedom to understand, shape, and define ourselvesComputer Program Reveals What Neurons in the Visual Cortex Prefer to Look AtA study of macaque monkeys at Harvard generated valuable clues based on an artificial intelligence system that can reliably determine what neurons in the brain’s visual cortex prefer to seeUnderstanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhanAn influential work by a fixture in media discourseRECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES The Three Rules of Humane TechTalking With Animals… Using AIHow to Free Our Minds with Cult Deprogramming Expert Dr. Steven HassanYour Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

Machine poets. ChatGPT fails. Neurological surveillance. Brain implants that treat depression. Is it scary? Cool? Let’s firehose some questions at Duke Law professor, neuro and bioethicist, author and TED speaker Dr. Nita Farahany. She explains the history of AI, the dawn of chatbots, what’s changed recently, the potential for good, the possible perils, how different lawmakers are stepping in, and whether or not this is scary dinner party conversation. Do you have feelings about AI and brain implants? Hopefully, and we talk about why. Buy Dr. Nita Farahany’s books: The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology (2023) and The Impact of Behavioral Sciences on Criminal Law (2009)Dr. Farahany’s 2023 TED Talk: Your right to mental privacy in the age of brain-sensing techFollow Dr. Farahany on Instagram, TikTok and TwitterA donation was made to Human Rights WatchMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Field Trip: A Hollywood Visit to the Writers Guild Strike Line, Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Gizmology (ROBOTS), Diabetology (DIABETES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson Transcripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Nita Farahany, a proponent of memory modification and erasure, debates with Sigal Samuel on whether bad memories should be erased. They discuss the benefits and dangers of memory alteration, explore the implications of erasing memories on identity and trust, and touch on topics like removing religious thoughts and addressing intergenerational trauma. The podcast highlights the importance of cognitive liberty and the need for regulations in memory manipulation technology.

Legal scholar Nita Farahany shares a heartbreaking experience, and guests explore topics such as rewriting traumatic memories, protecting privacy in the era of neurotechnology, the erosion of cognitive liberty, building a new type of personal computer, brain hacks and brain organoids, and living with epilepsy.

Nita Farahany, expert on the impact of neurotechnology, discusses mind reading accuracy, hacking neural interfaces for depression, companies using neural data in the workplace, unlocking phones by singing in our heads, and the implications of wearable mind-reading technologies.

Nita Farahany, a professor of law at Duke University and the author of “The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology,” joins Scott to discuss the threat to our privacy and freedom of thought, and the future of neurotechnology. Follow Nita on Twitter, @NitaFarahany.Scott opens by discussing the Biden Administration’s announcement that chip manufacturers that access $150M+ funding from the CHIPS Act must provide childcare. He then shares his thoughts on the bipartisan effort to take action against TikTok. Algebra of Happiness: expressing love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest host Sigal Samuel talks with professor of philosophy and law Nita Farahany about her new book The Battle for Your Brain. In it, Farahany details the new brain-scanning tech that has already arrived, and the risks this poses to our privacy and freedom of thought. Sigal and Nita discuss what this technology can currently do (and what it can't), how new devices might be used by corporations or governments to infringe on our rights, and the prospect of using new technologies to rid ourselves of painful or traumatic memories — even, potentially, before they've been formed.Host: Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel), Senior Reporter, VoxGuest: Nita Farahany (@NitaFarahany), author; professor of philosophy & Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law, Duke UniversityReferences:  The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology by Nita A. Farahany (St. Martin's; 2023) "Your brain may not be private much longer" by Sigal Samuel (Vox; March 17) "BGU develops wearable advanced warning system for epileptic seizures" (Jerusalem Post; Sept. 29, 2020) "Elon Musk shows off updates to his brain chips and says he's going to install one in himself when they are ready" by Ashley Capoot (CNBC; Dec. 1, 2022) "Brain-implant companies balk at moves to regulate their nascent tech" by Sarah McBride (Los Angeles Times; Feb. 19) "NHS trials headset that claims to zap depression" by Katie Prescott (The Times; Jan. 23) "Australian man uses brain implant to send texts from his iPad" by Kristin Houser (Freethink; Nov. 12, 2022) "Is 'brain fingerprinting' a breakthrough or a sham?" by Russell Brandom (The Verge; Feb. 2, 2015) "China Claims It's Scanning Workers' Brainwaves to Increase Efficiency and Profits" by Samantha Cole (VICE; May 1, 2018) "Incriminating Thoughts" by Nita A. Farahany (Stanford Law Review, vol. 64 (2); Feb. 2012) John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty" (1859) Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (1788) "Non-conscious brain modulation may help PTSD patients forget their fears" by Brooks Hays (UPI; Feb. 23, 2021) No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering by Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax Press; 2019)  Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.Help keep this show and all of Vox's journalism free by making a gift to Vox today: bit.ly/givepodcastsThis episode was made by:  Producer: Erikk Geannikis Engineers: Patrick Boyd & Brandon McFarland Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What seemed like science fiction for decades is now a reality: companies are selling wearable tech and monitoring devices that can sense people’s brain activity. Neurotechnology opens incredible opportunities for new products and safer workplaces. It also raises huge red flags for privacy and ethics. And managers and organizational leaders are on the front lines of these dilemmas, says Duke University School of Law professor Nita Farahany. She explains the commercial products based on neurotechnology, the impact on workers and organizations, and the need for regulations and corporate policies. Farahany wrote the book The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology.

Nita Farahany, an esteemed ethicist focusing on neurotechnology and privacy, dives into the chilling implications of mind-reading technology. She discusses how advancements could transform everyday life, potentially allowing employers and companies access to our thoughts. The conversation highlights the urgent need to safeguard 'cognitive liberty' in a world where our mental processes might be surveilled or manipulated. Nita also raises ethical concerns about dream advertising and the importance of protecting personal autonomy against emerging tech risks.

Nita Farahany is a professor at Duke University School of Law and the author of “The Battle for Your Brain.” Her work focuses on the ethical, legal, and social implications of artificial intelligence and neurotechnology. How will these emerging technologies affect our rights to privacy, freedom of thought, and self-determination? The conversation took place in San Francisco on April 16th at the Sydney Goldstein Theater, and was hosted by City Arts & Lectures. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338.References & Supplemental Materials:Nita Farahany, “The Battle for Your Brain,” MacMillan, 2023Preet Bharara, “Doing Justice,” Penguin Random House, 2019For analysis of recent legal news, try the CAFE Insider membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider. Check out other CAFE shows Now & Then and Up Against the Mob.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices