Brains and Machines: Towards a unified Ethics of AI and Neuroscience provides a comprehensive overview of concepts and ethical issues at the intersection of two emerging technological trends in the 21st century: AI and neurotechnology. In line with recent advances across both fields, debates about philosophical, ethical, regulatory and social issues raised by neuroscience and AI have considerably expanded in the past decade. Yet, despite many intersections and fruitful interactions between the two scientific domains, ethical debates about neuroscience and AI have mostly moved in parallel. This volume assembles voices from various disciplines to provide a more unified view and offer novel perspectives on two complementary lines of discourse. The volume provides scientific background by outlining the state of the art of applying AI in the field of neuroscience and discussing instances where findings and debates from neuroscience provide cues and inspiration to the study of AI. Based on this background, the book then addresses conceptual frameworks, identifies ethical challenges at the intersection of neuroscience and AI, and highlights challenges and opportunities of finding common ground in interdisciplinary settings. - Provides complementary perspectives from international experts on neuroscience, AI and ethics - Searches for common ground in debates that have in the past often moved in parallel - Provides an introduction into current ethical debates at the intersection of two fast-moving key technologies
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming every aspect of our lives— from healthcare and education to finance and national security—society stands at a critical crossroads. The promise of AI is undeniable: enhanced efficiency, groundbreaking discoveries, and solutions to some of the world’s most complex challenges. But alongside this remarkable potential lies profound responsibility. As AI technologies become more autonomous and embedded into the fabric of our world, they also introduce ethical dilemmas that demand our immediate attention. "Navigating AI Ethics: Building a Responsible and Equitable Future" is a timely exploration of these ethical challenges. It offers a comprehensive guide to understanding how AI systems can—and must—be developed and deployed in ways that reflect the principles of fairness, accountability, and human dignity. The decisions we make today in governing AI will reverberate for generations to come, shaping not only technological progress but also the very fabric of our global society. Ethical considerations in AI are no longer abstract thought experiments confined to academic circles. We are already witnessing the real-world impact of AI systems in determining who gets hired, who receives loans, how law enforcement resources are allocated, and even who receives critical medical care. Yet, as these technologies become more powerful, they also become more opaque, raising urgent questions about transparency, bias, accountability, and control. Who is responsible when AI systems make mistakes or produce biased outcomes? How can we ensure that AI serves the interests of all humanity rather than reinforcing existing inequalities or creating new ones? This book aims to provide answers to these questions by offering a roadmap for building a responsible and equitable AI future. It explores the ethical principles that should guide AI development and presents practical frameworks for incorporating these principles into real-world applications. Drawing on insights from philosophers, technologists, policymakers, and industry leaders, "Navigating AI Ethics" seeks to balance innovation with ethical responsibility. At its core, this book is about safeguarding the human element in AI. As much as we are captivated by the potential of intelligent machines, the ultimate goal must always be to enhance, rather than diminish, human well-being. This involves not only preventing harm and addressing bias but also ensuring that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly across all sectors of society. As you journey through this book, you will gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of AI ethics, from early theoretical discussions to the concrete challenges facing us today. You will explore the pivotal roles that data, bias, privacy, and transparency play in shaping AI’s ethical landscape, and you will confront the difficult questions surrounding autonomy, accountability, and control in an increasingly automated world. The book also offers a forward-looking perspective, examining the future of AI ethics as we edge closer to the development of superintelligent systems, and how global cooperation will be essential to navigating these uncharted waters. "Navigating AI Ethics: Building a Responsible and Equitable Future" is more than just a discussion of the problems AI presents—it is a call to action. The future of AI is not predetermined; it will be shaped by the choices we make today. By embracing an ethical approach to AI development, we can ensure that these technologies contribute to a future that is not only intelligent but also just, fair, and aligned with the highest ideals of humanity. This is the future we must strive for: one where AI serves humanity, upholds ethical standards, and helps build a world that is better for all. Welcome to this critical exploration of AI ethics. Together, we can navigate the complex challenges of AI and ensure that its future is both responsible and equitable.
In an age where Artificial Intelligence (AI) evolves at a breakneck pace, the boundaries of machine capabilities are constantly being redefined. Propelled by advancements in deep learning and related technologies, AI is inching ever closer to mimicking human intellect. But can it achieve consciousness? And if so, at what cost to humanity? This book delves deep into the multi-faceted debate surrounding artificially conscious AI. It untangles ethical quandaries, philosophical dilemmas, technological challenges, political considerations, and the regulatory landscape. By drawing connections between AI research, neuroscience, and cognitive science, the narrative provides a comprehensive understanding of what consciousness might mean in the context of AI. As over a thousand AI luminaries globally sound the alarm, urging a pause on certain AI developments, the book underscores the urgency of its message. Recent incidents have spotlighted AI systems with capabilities so advanced that even their creators grapple to fully grasp or control them. It’s imperative, now more than ever, to critically assess the implications of AI consciousness, weighing its potential risks against its benefits. This book offers both a timely warning and a call to informed action.
Neurotechnologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which allow technical devices to be used with the power of thought or concentration alone, are no longer a futuristic dream or, depending on the viewpoint, a nightmare. Moreover, the combination of neurotechnologies and AI raises a host of pressing problems. Now that these technologies are about to leave the laboratory and enter the real world, these problems and implications can and should be scrutinized. This volume brings together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines such as philosophy, law, the social sciences and neurosciences, and is unique in terms of both its focus and its methods. The latter vary considerably, and range from philosophical analysis and phenomenologically inspired descriptions to legal analysis and socio-empirical research. This diversified approach allows the book to explore the entire spectrum of philosophical, normative, legal and empirical dimensions of intelligent neurotechnologies. Philosophical and legal analyses of normative problems are complemented by a thorough empirical assessment of how BCIs and other forms of neurotechnology are being implemented, and what their measurable implications are. To take a closer look at specific neurotechnologies, a number of applications are addressed. Case studies, previously unidentified issues, and normative insights on these cases complement the rich portrait this volume provides. Clinicians, philosophers, lawyers, social scientists and engineers will greatly benefit from the collection of articles compiled in this book, which will likely become a standard reference work on the philosophy of intelligent neurotechnologies.
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Education identifies and confronts key ethical issues generated over years of AI research, development, and deployment in learning contexts. Adaptive, automated, and data-driven education systems are increasingly being implemented in universities, schools, and corporate training worldwide, but the ethical consequences of engaging with these technologies remain unexplored. Featuring expert perspectives from inside and outside the AIED scholarly community, this book provides AI researchers, learning scientists, educational technologists, and others with questions, frameworks, guidelines, policies, and regulations to ensure the positive impact of artificial intelligence in learning.
This Festschrift volume, published in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Artificial Intelligence, includes 34 refereed papers written by leading researchers in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The papers were carefully selected from the invited lectures given at the 50th Anniversary Summit of AI, held at the Centro Stefano Franscini, Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland, July 9-14, 2006. The summit provided a venue for discussions on a broad range of topics.
This book is the second of the series about the imperatives for the search for new psychiatry. As stated in my recent 2021 book about: The Search for New Psychiatry, current psychiatric practices have failed many: patients and their families, their doctors and the society at large. That was the end of the 2021 book and the beginning of this book as a follow up in search for pathways to a new and more effective science-based practice Based on its major contributions to the recent successful and expedient development of the Covid 19 vaccines, I am proposing the same pathway of using the new revolution in informatics as the way to save and secure the future of psychiatry and that is what I am recommending in this book reaping the benefit of AI and Big Data Analytics but with a wide open eye on its limits, reliability, risks, unforeseen or unintentional harms. Part Two of the book deals with a number of perineal and also new challenges that continue to require better understanding and resolution. Among the phenomenological and nosological challenges, the recent development by Neurology of its subspeciality of Behavioral Neurology in competition to Neuropsychiatry, is reviewed in terms of an opportunity for integration of the tow subspecialities towards the creation of a new third field of “Clinical Neurosciences”. Other challenges included are: The Subjective /Objective Dichotomy, Lunacy and the Moon- reflections on the interactions of the brain and environment and Woke Psychiatry, what is it? Several other clinical challenges include: The Past is Coming Back as The Future -The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of Psychedelics, Loneliness as the silent disorder and several other challenges. At the end, a postscript has been hastily added in memory of a close friend, a pioneering psychopharmacologist but above all an empathic humanist, Professor Thomas Arthur Ban or as he always preferred, Tom.
The treatment of pain and scientific pursuits to understand the mechanisms underlying pain raise many ethical, legal, and social issues. For the first time, this edited volume brings together content experts in the fields of pain, pediatrics, neuroscience, brain imaging, bioethics, health humanities, and the law to provide insight into the timely topic of pain neuroethics. This landmark volume of the state of the art exploration of pain neuroethics will be a must read for those interested in the ethical issues in pain research, treatment, and management.
“Big questions are Gazzaniga’s stock in trade.” —New York Times “Gazzaniga is one of the most brilliant experimental neuroscientists in the world.” —Tom Wolfe “Gazzaniga stands as a giant among neuroscientists, for both the quality of his research and his ability to communicate it to a general public with infectious enthusiasm.” —Robert Bazell, Chief Science Correspondent, NBC News The author of Human, Michael S. Gazzaniga has been called the “father of cognitive neuroscience.” In his remarkable book, Who’s in Charge?, he makes a powerful and provocative argument that counters the common wisdom that our lives are wholly determined by physical processes we cannot control. His well-reasoned case against the idea that we live in a “determined” world is fascinating and liberating, solidifying his place among the likes of Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio, V.S. Ramachandran, and other bestselling science authors exploring the mysteries of the human brain.
How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities.
