UNESCO adopts global benchmarking tool on ethics in neurotechnology

According to a VNA reporter in Paris, UNESCO has just officially adopted the Recommendation on Ethics in Neurotechnology, effective from November 12, 2025, to establish principles and safeguards to ensure that neurotechnology serves humans without infringing on human rights.

This is the result of a process that began in 2019 and was initiated by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, following the success of the global initiative on an ethical framework for artificial intelligence (AI) adopted in 2021.

Ms. Azoulay stressed that neurotechnology is “a new frontier of human progress,” but comes with serious ethical risks and technological progress is only meaningful when guided by ethics, dignity and responsibility to generations.
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Neurotechnology includes devices that can directly interact with the nervous system to measure, regulate or stimulate the brain, bringing many prospects, especially in medicine such as deep brain stimulation to treat depression, Parkinson's, or brain-computer interfaces to help disabled people control prosthetic limbs or communicate by thought.

However, outside the medical field, the use of this technology remains largely unregulated.

Many people use popular devices like headbands or connected headphones without realizing they have the ability to collect neural data that reveals emotions, thoughts or reactions, and share it without consent.

UNESCO's recommendation calls on governments to ensure the inclusiveness and accessibility of neurotechnology, and to establish measures to protect the sanctity of the human mind.

The document also warns of other risks for children and adolescents, recommends against using the technology for non-medical purposes; opposes productivity monitoring or personal profiling from neural data; and emphasizes the need for transparency and clear user consent.

UNESCO is proud to be a pioneer in setting international standards for the ethical development, application and governance of emerging technologies. The adoption of this Recommendation reinforces UNESCO’s global leadership in anticipating major scientific breakthroughs.

UNESCO will support member states to review policies, develop appropriate roadmaps and strengthen capacity to apply these principles into national laws and practices./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/unesco-thong-qua-cong-cu-chuan-muc-toan-cau-ve-dao-duc-trong-cong-nghe-than-kinh-post1075715.vnp