Ethics and Governance of Neurotechnology in Africa: Lessons From AI

Abstract

As a novel technology frontier, neurotechnology is revolutionizing our perceptions of the brain and nervous system. With growing private and public investments, a thriving ecosystem of direct-to-consumer neurotechnologies has also emerged. These technologies are increasingly being introduced in many parts of the world, including Africa. However, as the use of this technology expands, neuroethics and ethics of emerging technology scholars are bringing attention to the critical concerns it raises. These concerns are largely not new but are uniquely amplified by the novelty of technology. They include ethical and legal issues such as privacy, human rights, human identity, bias, autonomy, and safety, which are part of the artificial intelligence ethics discourse. Most importantly, there is an obvious lack of regulatory oversight and a dearth of literature on the consideration of contextual ethical principles in the design and application of neurotechnology in Africa. This paper highlights lessons African stakeholders need to learn from the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence to ensure the design of ethically responsible and socially acceptable neurotechnology in and for Africa.