First, people fretted about algorithmic bias. Now, they’re worried about A.I. bias extending that danger. But soon, the big concern may be bias in neurotechnology—a rapidly swelling field that includes the likes of Elon Musk’s Neuralink, and the Jeff Bezos– and Bill Gates–backed rival, brain implant maker Synchron.
The U.K.’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), today said it expected to see devices that tap into signals coming from the nervous system to “become widespread over the next decade.” While researchers are already using brain implants to combat dementia and help paralyzed people walk again, the watchdog said, “neurotechnologies are rapidly developing for use in the personal well-being, sports, and marketing sectors and even for monitoring people in the workplace.”
