Waveforms of Human Intention
Automating Empathy November 22, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197615546.003.0009
Summary
Consumer-level neurotechnologies and brain-computer interfaces are reviewed, tracing their history, hopes, and politics, including early pre-Web beliefs about merging with the Internet. Current neuroscience potentials allow profiling of prethought, situated within corporate interests like Meta and Neuralink. This surveillance is described as neurophenomenological, covering body and brain materiality to profile, interact with, and anticipate first-person experience. Such capabilities raise profound questions about determination and relationships with technologies, others, companies, and governments.
Study at a glance
| Design | historical analysis |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Consumer neurotechnologies enable neurophenomenological surveillance that can profile, interact with, and anticipate first-person experience, raising profound questions about determination and relationships. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter considers the development of consumer-level neurotechnologies and brain-computer interfaces. It reviews the history, hopes and politics of these technologies, and early pre-Web belief that these technologies would be merged with the Internet. It also situates early systematic speculation in relation to potentials of neuroscience today, finding scope for profiling of prethought. Such potentials are then situated in context of corporate interests in these technologies, especially those of Meta and Elon Musk’s Neuralink. While raising privacy and freedom of thought concerns, this surveillance is posited as neurophenomenological. This means that it encompasses body and brain materiality, also providing scope to profile, interact with, and anticipate first-person experience. This is argued to raise profound questions about determination and relationships with technologies, each other, companies, and governments.