BCIs: Futures of Cognition, Economy, and Humanity

Part of SXSW 2023

This event took place on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 2:30 PM UTC.

Venue: JW Marriott, Salon D. A 12-second flight kicked off what would lead to a moonwalk 66 years later. Has the world of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) experienced its Kitty Hawk? Across academia and industry, the capacity to decode neural data and control a device with thought improves exponentially. BCI has already restored movement in those who have lost it. Now, it promises unprecedented restoration of agency to people living with neurological injuries and disease states. The ability to measure and alter brain function also demands a discussion of neuroethical and societal implications. Will a tension emerge between effective altruists and capitalists, or will long-term incentives align? The potential to augment cognition, understand the nature of consciousness, and to improve the retrieval of memories is dizzying.