Defending right to cognitive liberty; global warming & bioethics; new reproductive science; AI pause
April 6, 2023
Defending "Cognitive Liberty" From "Bossware" to Mental Health Apps: The Battle for Your Brain
At the intersection of artificial intelligence and neuroscience lies a wealth of opportunity for business, labor, and society. Yet along with progress comes a host of legal and ethical dilemmas. In a webinar last week, Nita Farahany and Hastings Center President Mildred Solomon explored what our neurological information is worth and the implications of making it available to corporations and the government. Farahany is the author of the new book, The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. Watch the webinar.
Confronting Climate Change in a Perfect Moral Storm Join Us for a Special "Bioethics with Bigger Impact" Event
Are ethicists asleep at the wheel in protecting planetary health? Global warming is intertwined with persistent problems of social justice, systemic racism, the U.S. history of colonial oppression, and the dominance of capitalist consumer norms over health and health care. Join us on April 18 for the third and final “Bioethics with Bigger Impact” event, which will explore how ethicists should respond to the urgent challenges of climate change. Learn more and register.
Reproductive Science Innovation Raises Hope for Infertile & Same-Sex Couples Exploring Scientific, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues
The science of creating human eggs and sperm in a lab is progressing and could significantly alter the practice of reproductive medicine, raising hope for infertile and same-sex couples. But it also raises urgent issues that require broad societal engagement. Hastings Center senior advisor and fellow Joel Michael Reynolds will tackle the challenges at a workshop of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (in Washington and online) on April 19-21. Learn more and register.
Should AI Development Be Paused? Amid Concerns, Hastings Advisor Sees Advantages
Thousands of tech leaders and other experts signed an open letter advocating for an immediate pause in the development of advanced AI systems to allow time to address their societal risks. While some fear a pause could give China a competitive edge, Hastings Center senior advisor Wendell Wallach sees things differently, telling Newsweek that a pause could “empower those in China” who want to put guardrails in place. Read the article.
Upcoming Events
"'Binocularity': A Conceptual Tool for Comprehending and Respecting Persons," TODAY April 6.
"Confronting Climate Change in a Perfect Moral Storm," April 18.
"In Vitro Derived Human Gametes as a Reproductive Technology: Scientific, Ethical, and Regulatory Implications. April 19-21.
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