Artificial intelligence, Violante: risk of our brains being conditioned and modified

'Neurotechnology could change our lives for the better or it could lead us into a future in which our brains will be monitored, conditioned and modified. An international movement for the defence of neurorights is coming into being; it consists of five fixed points of ethical-legal reflection and two prohibitions'. This was stated by Luciano Violante, president of Fondazione Leonardo-Civiltà delle Macchine ETS, speaking at the conference 'State of privacy - focus on the Artificial Intelligence' organised in Florence by the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali. An event-dialogue with some of the main public and private stakeholders on the future of data protection in an increasingly complex world influenced by emerging technologies.

The point is to ensure that brain data are treated confidentially and are subject to strict regulations regarding their use, sale and commercial transfer. In particular, the right to personal identity must be protected, limiting technologies that could compromise the individual's sense of self; the right to equal access to mental enhancement, with equality in access to neurotechnologies to improve mental capabilities; protection from the incorporation of bias into the algorithms of neurotechnologies, to prevent the algorithms used from creating discrimination; and finally, individual autonomy must be protected from being manipulated by external neurotechnologies.

On the one hand, according to Violante, it is a matter of prohibiting interference without consent that can read, diffuse or alter mental states and condition the person in any way; on the other hand. to prohibit unauthorised interference of neuronal capacities that can result in direct harm to the victim. China invested USD 85 million this year to fund research for cognitive warfare.

"What our generation decides today will powerfully condition the future of the younger generations," explains the former Chamber president. "By digital civilisation, I mean a civilisation capable of giving everyone full awareness of the possibilities, limits and risks to their freedom of choice. Homo Connexus, presented as an anthropological fact, disengaged from the duties that derive from social coexistence is not acceptable'. For Violante it is 'consequently necessary to discuss and oppose the ideological trivialisations that, by promoting a post-human imaginary, intend to reset to zero the centrality of persons in history. The common destiny must be guaranteed by the centrality of human dignity, by a correct interpretation of progress as an instrument for the development of people, society and peoples. In thinking about the digital society, we must have no doubts in defining the value difference between human being and machine. We must strive to build our civilisation as a digital civilisation; as were the iron civilisation, the bronze civilisation, and so on. Today we have to be aware that we are living a new civilisation.