Rapid development of brain-machine interfaces and neuroprotective gradually leads us to a revolution in the methods of treatment and support paralyzed people. At the same time these technologies in the future can find a more universal application and become a starting point for the further evolution of humanity and its transition into a new kind of cyborgs. But before we reach such heights, we need to ensure that neural devices are absolutely reliable, safe and fully protected from external influence – hacker attacks if easier.
With dreams of our bright future cybernetic researchers from the Geneva Centre for bio – and neuroengineering Wyss in Switzerland (Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering) published on the Science portal your job “Help, hope, and hype: Ethical dimensions of neuroprosthetics”. The task of the authors is not only to describe the opportunities that are before us will open the field of Neurotechnology, but also in raising public attention to the perils that can ambush us on the way to this sverkhvysokochastotnogo future. And importantly it is worth noting that the authors have developed several ways that will mitigate potential problems before they occur.
Not to mention the rapid development of Neurotechnology becomes impossible today. Engineers and researchers are actively developing and refining brain-machine interfaces that allow paralyzed people to regain control of his limbs, the amputee can effectively control robotic prostheses, and patients with impaired speech functions to restore the ability due to the ability in communicating their thoughts. Surprisingly, there is already much progress in this direction. Scientists have created an exoskeleton that allows people with paralyzed lower limbs to hit the ball. Paralyzed lab monkey learned to control the wheelchair with thoughts. Develop the interface “brain — the brain” allowed a person to control the limb movements of other people. Each technological breakthrough enables us little by little to learn more about the brain and how it works. But even more importantly, these technologies have the potential to return amputees and paralyzed people independence and independence.
There comes a time to say Hello to the future: human brain controlled robots, like the one pictured above, are already beginning to enter our daily life
But all of these technologies, unfortunately, has its downside. As the Director of the Center Vissa John Donohue, around this area starting to have serious ethical issues and so it’s time to start thinking about how neuroprotection and the development of brain-machine interfaces may be faced with abuse in future, and also about how to protect yourself from it.
“Despite the fact that we still do not fully understand how the brain works, we become closer to the moment when we can adequately decode certain brain signals. Therefore, we must realize what impact this may have on society,” says Donohue.
“We should carefully analyze the probable consequences of living side by side with polusinteticheskie machines managed by the human brain, and must have developed mechanisms that can convince us of their safety and compliance with our ethical norms”.
Center Vissa concerned that with the wider integration of these neurosteroids in our daily lives will continue to expand the capabilities of these tools. They will become more versatile. Now brain-machine interfaces can be used for controlling a robotic hand to grasp a Cup or looking at the computer screen, choose a specific word in the text. But someday such devices, only more advanced, will be used as an emergency worker for the elimination of dangerous gas leaks, and the mother of a child missing an extra set of hands to calm your crying baby.
Go something wrong in these cases, for example, a semi-automatic robotic arm work will turn the wrong valve or the mother accidentally dropped from the robotic arms of their child, it is important to ask yourself the question: where begins and ends the area of responsibility and who in such cases should be found guilty? The legal system of the future will have to determine whether it was within the area of responsibility of the manufacturer of the robotic device (design found a marriage or a software bug) or a user (improper use, or unauthorized external impact on the integrity of the product structure).
To minimize these potential problems, the authors are discussing today offer that any semi-Autonomous system is equipped with automatic lock and in case of improper or unintended use of the activated bypassing direct interaction, “brain — computer”. If an artificial limb begins to perform actions which the user meant to perform, then this “switch” will be able to decide on instant deactivation of the system to prevent potential trouble.
Another aspect that concerns the researchers is the security of the privacy of the user and the need to protect any personal information that will be recorded in such systems. It is highly likely that systems based on the interface “brain — computer”, will collect a variety of information about the neurological status of the user, after which it will be transmitted to your computer. Of course, that this scheme should cause some concern about the protection of confidential data. According to the researchers of the Center Vissa, the collected information could be stolen and used improperly.
“Protection of private neurological information about people completely paralyzed and using interfaces “brain — computer” as the only possible means of communication with the outside world is particularly important,” says Niels Birbaumer, senior researcher, Center for Vissa.
“Successful calibration systems working with the interface “brain — computer” will, in addition, depend on how their brain will respond to personal questions related to their family, for example, name, age, and marital status of children and so on. For all involved in this case people should be provided with a rigorous system of protection of personal data that will be required for the correct operation of the functions of the device. We are talking about the information that will be ascertained through personal issues and neurological information of the patient.”
Even more researchers from the Center Vissa concerned about the possibility of a digital break-in is connected to the brain of the device by attackers that can actually endanger the life of the user of this device. Using the so-called “hacking the brain” can be a malicious manipulation of brain implants. Hackers will be able to control movements of robotic arms of a man.
A possible solution to this problem will include an increased level of encryption of information, the establishment of strong network security and open communication channel between the manufacturer of the product and its user. The implementation of most of these proposed measures is a daunting task, not least due to the probable lack of universal standards to be applied in security systems. On this basis, experts of the Center Vissa think it’s time now to start thinking about the ways that will allow everyone to coordinate their efforts to develop uniform industry standards for the development and integration of the necessary protective measures.
“Some kinds of fears, which according to the authors, may one day turn into a real problem. Therefore, I agree that the development of certain universal standards are needed now, then we were in a situation when it is too late”, says Adam keiper, senior researcher, Center for ethics and public opinion.
And all the same Kuiper who have not participated in the writing of the discussed work, partly skeptical considering the variant for which someone would want to hack an interface “brain — computer” completely paralyzed human interfaces, used as feed-back neural connections between the human and training systems, that is, programs that use non-invasive methods of brain scanning, such devices electroencephalography, systems for training of their behavior, stress reduction, meditation and so on.
“What are the benefits of such a hack can get a hacker? Yes, almost no. Of course, concerns about security and privacy can be an important subject in the future. But it seems to me that this is a premature conversation.”
Kuiper adds that the increased the degree of concerns related to the implementation of the interfaces “brain — computer” and semi-Autonomous robots can be compared to the level of excitement that occurs in society regarding global robotics that promises to be the next step in the development of our social life. And though the Kuiper agrees with some aspects, in his opinion, the whole issue, at least for now, seems more contrived than real.
“The authors believe that we should not increase health literacy and awareness of the peculiarities of functioning of the physiological systems that will be used when similar types of prostheses. But this is nonsense”, says Kuiper.
In his opinion, society itself is unlikely to take an interest in such specialized topics. Still, the specialist recognizes that it is often very difficult to find the right time to start a public dialogue on the ethical and social questions about the mass integration of new technologies in our daily lives.
“There is always a risk to make such statements too early, when we still do not really will to understand whether this is a serious problem. Such precedents already were. Take at least nanotime, whose supporters a decade ago, did not really understand the question, raised a fuss, saying that advanced nanotechnology will appear almost instantly, and even tried to build a real academic discipline. But in the end it turned out that the development of nanotechnology is much more flexible and smooth process.”
“I think that from this point of view, the authors of the discussed work can only be commended. Praise for what their fears they Express is not radical statements, but it is a calm explanation of,” says Kuiper.
Of course, researchers at the Center for Vissa raised a very important topic. Sooner or later, described today’s technology will find its way into our everyday life and will serve as support not only dysfunctional, but quite a healthy people.
In the future, non-invasive interfaces “brain — computer” can be used to create a kind of telekinetic communication with the outside world, in which we own thoughts can control lighting in the house or even just to switch the TV channels. In other words, further progress will be able to turn these technologies into the technological form of telepathy. As for the researchers from the Center for Vissa, their key message is that we were ready and were able to prevent the use of such technologies for malicious purposes.
Becoming cyborgs, if we can protect our brains from cracking?
Nikolai Khizhnyak