2017: Ethical Guidelines for Neurotechnologies

Ethical Guidelines for Neurotechnologies

NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University

Organizers: Rafael Yuste (Columbia University) and Sara Goering (University of Washington)

May 22nd – 24th, 2017
Room 703, NWC Building Auditorium, 550 West 120th St., Columbia University, NY, NY 10027

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation

Sunday May 21st
Welcome Dinner 6:30 – 9pm
Vinateria, 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026


Day 1: Monday May 22nd
Breakfast: 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Meeting Goals: 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Rafa Yuste (Columbia)
Sara Goering (UW)

Session 1:  9:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Ethical Issues of Novel Neurotechnologies: Initial Survey

9:30 – 10:30am
Reading Neuronal Activity: Jack Gallant (Berkeley)
Case study #1: Discussant: Karen Rommelfanger (Emory)

Coffee Break: 10:30 – 10.45 a.m.

10:45–11:45
Writing Neuronal Activity: Jose Camerna (Berkley)
Case Study #2: Discussant: Philipp Kellmeyer (Freiburg)

11:45–12:45
Machine Intelligence: Blaise Agüera i Arcas (Google)
Case Study #3: Discussant: David Wasseran (NIH)

Lunch 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.

Session 2:  2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Ethics in International Brain Initiatives: Brief Updates

US BRAINI: Christine Grady (NIH)
Human Brain Project: Christine Mitchell (Harvard)
Canada: Judy Illes (UBC)
Japan: Norihiro Sadato (NIPS)
Australia: Adrian Carter (Monash)
China: Guoquiang Bi (UST)
Israel and International Organizations: Mina Teicher (Bar Ilan)

Coffee Break: 3.00 p.m.– 3.15 p.m.

Session 3: 3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
Existing Ethical Guidelines and Principles

Belmont Report: Phoebe Friesen (NYU)
Asilomar Report: Meredith Whitaker (AI Now, Google)
Related Guidelines Projects: Eran Klein (UW)

Session 4:  4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Ethical Guidelines: General Topics
Roundtable Discussion.

5.30 – 6.00 p.m. Assignment to Breakout Groups

Conference Reception 6:30 p.m.– 9 p.m.
Rafa’s Apartment
Day 1: Monday May 22nd
Breakfast: 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Recap and aims of the day: 9 – 9:30 a.m.
Rafa Yuste (Columbia)
Sara Goering (UW)

Session 5:  9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Breakout Groups 1: Identification of Specific Issues

A – Identity and Protection. Room: 909 NWC
Leaders: Rafa Yuste and Karen Rommelfanger
Group: Joe Fins, Norihiro Sadato

B – Agency and Responsibility. Room 1209 NWC
Leaders: Laura Specker Sullivan and Philipp Kellmeyer
Group: Jonathan Wolpaw, Adrian Carter, Khara Ramos

C – Privacy and Consent. Rom: 602 NWC
Leaders: Eran Klein and Jack Gallant
Group: Alan Rubel, Judy Illes, Meredith Whittaker, Jose Carmena

D – Augmentation and Access. 502 NWC
Leaders: Anna Wexler and Erik Parens
Group: Guoquiang Bi, Adam Marblestone, Christine Mitchell

E – Normality and Biases. Room: 703 NWC
Leaders: Sara Goering and Blaise Agüera y Arcas
Group: David Wasserman, Jane Huggins, Mina Teicher
Coffee Break in 703 NWC: 10:30 – 10.45 a.m.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Session 6:  12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Report from morning sessions
Group leaders and general discussion

Coffee Break: 3.00 p.m.– 3.15 p.m.

Session 7: 3:15 – 5:45 p.m.
Breakout Groups 2: Developing Integrated Guidelines 

Conference Banquet 6:00 – 8:30pm
Red Rooster, 310 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027

Day 3: Wednesday May 24rd

Breakfast: 8:30 1 9:00 a.m.

Recap and aims of the day: 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Rafa Yuste (Columbia)
Sara Goering (UW)

Session 8: 9.30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Report from previous afternoon sessions; preliminary guideline statements
Group leaders and general discussion

Coffee Break: 10:30 – 10.45 a.m.

Session 9: Lunch with breakout group; 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Refining guideline statements

Session 10:  1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Integrating the guidelines
Group leaders and general discussion

Closing: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Recap and Next Steps
Rafa Yuste (Columbia)
Sara Goering (UW)

4 p.m. Meeting adjourned