The NeuroRight Arcades

The NeuroRight Arcades are a series of installations with game consoles and BCI headphones that utilize live neurofeedback to immerse visitors in the ethical implications of emerging neurotechnology and the importance of fundamental NeuroRights, while also encouraging reflection on personal experiences connected to this proposed ethical framework.

Innovation is advancing rapidly, with neuro-wearables and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) offering new possibilities for gathering information from our brains and influencing our thoughts. However, what occurs when companies or governments use these technologies in ways we may not agree with? Current social and ethical frameworks do not provide clear answers. In response, researchers from the NeuroRights Initiative at Columbia University have defined several ‘NeuroRights’ to protect our brains from unwanted external influences.

Mental Privacy
Nothing or nobody may look into your ‘head’ unless you consent to this.

Personal Identity
Nothing or nobody may change your self-image; you have control over your mental and physical integrity.

Free Will
Nothing or nobody may influence or limit your free will.

Equal Access to Mental Augmentation
Everyone should have fair access to any device that makes us more intelligent.

Protection against Algorithmic Bias
No one may be subjected to prejudice or discrimination based on their specific profile.

In developing the NeuroRight Arcades, Roel Heremans wants to make these NeuroRights more tangible and help visitors better understand how intrinsically important they are. After finishing the game, they can download a printout of their brainwaves. At the moment they become aware of their own rights, they may feel a strange sense that the Arcades are doing exactly what they were warned about…