Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Brain-sensing tech is on the rise. But what about your right to mental privacy?

Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Brain Hacks.

Neurotechnology could help us monitor our health and wellness. But lawyer and AI ethicist Nita Farahany says that without safeguards, our private thoughts and emotions can be exploited for profit.

About Nita Farahany

Nita Farahany is the Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke University and founding director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, which works to advance the responsible use of science and technology. She has advocated for a new international human right known as cognitive liberty.

From 2010 to 2017, Farahany served as a commissioner on the US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. She is an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Law Institute, and she is an appointed commissioner for the Uniform Laws Commission. Her most recent book, The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology, deals with the promise and peril of the neurotechnology revolution and charts a framework for securing a right to self-determination over our brains and mental experiences.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Rachel Faulkner White and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Manoush Zomorodi. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Rachel Faulkner White
Rachel Faulkner is a producer and editor for TED Radio Hour.
Sanaz Meshkinpour