Embedding Ethics in Neurotechnology: Conceptual Frameworks and Practical Applications 

Novel neurotechnologies have the potential to improve methods of understanding and modifying brain function, but they also raise numerous ethical challenges. To address these challenges, ethicists have published ethical guidelines and consensus statements, yet these have been critiqued for their speculative nature and disconnect from practical issues. In response, scholars and funders have proposed embedding ethicists directly within research teams, with the goal of bridging gaps between idealized ethical principles and on-the-ground realities of research. However, despite growing enthusiasm for “embedded ethics” approaches, there has been little work in the bioethics literature to critically consider the goals and values of embedded ethics, what it entails from a practical perspective, and how it relates to other forms of ethicist engagement. In this work-in-progress talk, I will discuss two ongoing projects: the development of a conceptual framework aimed at mapping relevant features of embedded ethics, as well as pilot program that aims to adapt embedded ethics approaches for the private neurotechnology industry.