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_

Nita Farahany, a leading neurotech and AI ethicist specializing in brain-computer interfaces, dives into the intersection of technology and mental privacy. She explores the incredible potential of neurotechnology for improving mental health, such as tracking conditions like depression. However, she raises urgent concerns about the risks of brain data exploitation and the ethical implications of tech giants accessing our innermost thoughts. Farahany champions the idea of 'cognitive liberty' to protect individual mental experiences in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Nita Farahani, a legal scholar and AI ethicist, dives into the ethical challenges of merging our minds with machines. Conor Russomanno, a neurotechnologist and founder of OpenBCI, discusses groundbreaking brain-computer interfaces. Sergiu Pașca, a neuroscientist at Stanford, sheds light on using brain organoids to tackle neuropsychiatric disorders. They explore trauma treatment through innovative neurotechnology, the vital need for mind privacy laws, and the transformative potential of these advancements in enhancing mental well-being.

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 Duke University law professor and author of "The Battle for Your Brain," discusses the ethical implications of neurotechnology and its impact on privacy and freedom of thought. She highlights how this emerging field can decode thoughts while posing risks for surveillance and mental health. Farahany also explores the psychological effects of social media on children and advocates for a more engaged paternal role in emotional development. The conversation touches on national security concerns linked to technologies like TikTok and the competitive landscape with China.

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.

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