Exploring the Future of Neurotechnology: Balancing Benefits and Risks
As advanced medical technology advances toward the consumer market, there is a growing need for safeguards to ensure its protected use. Initially designed for aiding communication, neural implants could potentially evolve into tools capable of monitoring an individual’s innermost thoughts, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
Rachel Sava’s Prize-Winning Exploration
Rachel Sava, a graduate student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, examined these possibilities in her award-winning entry, “Superintelligence, Superintimate,” for the fourth annual Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize. Her work highlights how a life-changing medical device can transition into a means for corporate and governmental surveillance.
Inspired by her internship at IBM, Sava collaborated with the PACE Center in London. There, she worked alongside Kevin Brown, a pioneer in brain decoding technology, who developed an EEG-based system to help a colleague with locked-in syndrome. This experience galvanized her interest in neuroprostheses, leading to her exploration of this critical issue six years later.
The Tipping Point in Neurotechnology
Sava articulates that neurotechnology research and applications are currently at a “tipping point.” She cites examples of companies utilizing neural implants for monitoring mental productivity and authorities potentially surveilling populations for “thought crimes.” As this technology enters consumer markets, there is an understandable fear it could transition from a revolutionary medical device to a tool for dystopian applications.
Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize 2026: Rachel Sava
Video: MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize
Presented by Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), a cross-campus initiative of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, the competition encourages MIT students to identify sectors that could achieve significant positive impacts from artificial intelligence. Students are tasked with exploring technological deployments while considering potential risks and ethical concerns. Cash awards, including a grand prize of $10,000, are offered to motivate participation.
During a live awards ceremony moderated by Caspar Hare, former SERC associate dean and professor of philosophy, finalists presented their concepts and answered questions from judges and audience members. “SERC and the donors who make this prize possible ask us, the next generation of scientists, year after year: ‘What world do you want to see?’ I think it’s worth taking the time to ask yourself the same thing,” Sava remarked. She encouraged others to explore these topics deeply, much like academic work.
Fostering Creativity and Ethical Considerations
The competition prompts students to consider societal benefits and costs of their technological innovations from the outset. Brian Hedden, SERC associate dean and professor of philosophy, lauded this year’s submissions for their depth in exploring the social and ethical implications of technology. Nikos Trichakis, SERC associate dean, emphasized the creative and thoughtful nature of the essays, highlighting the students’ ability to envision not only what AI can do, but what it should do.
In addition to awarding Sava the top prize, the jury honored two runners-up: Cordiana Cozier for her work on AI as a cognitive buffer for public defenders, and Strahinja Janjusevic for his exploration of agency and ownership in neurally controlled prosthetics. Four honorable mentions were also recognized, each receiving a cash prize.
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