Jefferson Humanities Forum: Nita Farahany

Neurotechnology, or devices that let you track your own brain activity, could help you deeply understand your health. But without privacy protections, your innermost thoughts, emotions and desires could be at risk of exploitation, says neurotech and AI ethicist Nita Farahany. She details some of the field's promising potential uses – like tracking and treating diseases from depression to epilepsy – and shares concerns about who collects our brain data and how they plan to use it, ultimately calling for the legal recognition of "cognitive liberty" as we connect our brains and minds to technology.

Nita A. Farahany is the Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy and Founding Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. She is a widely published scholar on the ethics of emerging technologies, including the book The Battle for Your Brain: Defending Your Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. President Obama appointed Nita to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, where she served for seven years. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council for the National Institute for Neurological Disease and Stroke, as an elected member of the American Law Institute and on the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks for the World Economic Forum, among others. Nita is a co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences and is on the Board of Advisors for Scientific American.

Moderator: Richard W. Hass, PhD, Associate Professor, Program Director, PhD in Population Health Science, Program Director, MS in Health Data Science

About the Carlin Foundation Annual Lecture on Healthcare Innovation

The purpose of the Carlin Foundation Annual Lecture on Healthcare Innovation is to stimulate innovation in medicine and medical care delivery by exposing students and other attendees to notable speakers and ideas. The Foundation encourages the selection of speakers who will challenge participants to think creatively and innovatively about the difficulties and opportunities facing healthcare, looking, in particular, to experts and industries outside of healthcare.Learn more: Jefferson.edu/Humanities

During 2023-2024, the Jefferson Humanities Forum hosts multidisciplinary scholars and thinkers to investigate the theme of Futures.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, Student Affairs, at [email protected].

Watch Nita Farahany's TED talk, "Your right to mental privacy in the age of brain-sensing tech."

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Connelly Auditorium, Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Philadelphia, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App