UNESCO Adopts First Global Ethical Standards for Neurotechnology

UNESCO Adopts First Global Ethical Standards for Neurotechnology
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UNESCO has adopted the world’s first global standards on the ethics of neurotechnology, a rapidly expanding field that gathers and interprets data from the human brain and nervous system.

According to The Guardian, the guidelines, approved on Thursday, aim to regulate technologies often described as a “wild west” of innovation. Driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the rise of consumer-oriented neurotech products—such as earbuds that claim to read brainwaves or smart glasses that track eye movement—the standards seek to protect human rights and privacy.

The new framework introduces “neural data” as a protected category and includes over 100 recommendations, covering issues from informed consent to the potential misuse of brain data for subliminal marketing or manipulation.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the standards “enshrine the inviolability of the human mind,” emphasizing “mental privacy” and “freedom of thought.”

The move comes amid surging investment in neurotech by companies like Meta and Merge Labs, and growing calls for regulation in the US and beyond.