Abstract:
The rapid advancements in neuroscience and neurotechnologies have led to concerns regarding human privacy and security. Although primarily developed for specialized research and clinical purposes, neurotechnology is now widely available for personal and commercial usage. There is an increasing demand for biofeedback for personal self-enhancement, but also for marketing, profiling, and surveillance. Furthermore, neuro-inspired machine learning has led to artificial intelligence applications that permeates our daily lives, leading to both opportunities and concerns for how personal data could be used and abused. In our talk, we will broadly outline current frontiers in neurotechnology in research and commercial applications. We will discuss common uses, misuses, and misconceptions of these methods. Finally, we will discuss the social impacts and ethical considerations of this on-going revolution in neuroscience.
About the speakers:
Jonny Coutinho is a PhD student at the Centre for Neuroscience Studies. His research uses computational modelling to investigate visual perception, decision making, and eye movement control. He is also interested in scientific advocacy, evidence-based policy, and community outreach.
Pauline Gaprielian is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Neuroscience Studies. Her research focuses on using novel neurotechnologies for clinical assessment. She particularly uses robotic technologies to assess the symptoms and the effects of treatment in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. She is also interested in the role of neuroscientists in the sectors of medicine, health policy and community outreach.
Susan Boehnke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and senior staff scientist in the Centre for Neuroscience Studies with expertise in sensorimotor systems, neurodegenerative disease, and neuroimaging. She leads the Executive Education program, developing workshops on topics related to neuroscience, neuromarketing and law.
Everyone welcome!
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada