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Neuroethics

Neuroethics articles can cover the ethics of research related to neuroscience, brain research involving ethical choices, fMRI studies, controversial research and other topics to debate.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·May 14, 2025·4 min read

Does AI Have Free Will? New Study Says We’re Getting Close

A new study argues that some generative AI agents meet all three philosophical criteria for free will: agency, choice, and control. Drawing from theories by Dennett and List, researchers examined AI agents like Minecraft’s Voyager and fictional autonomous drones, concluding that they exhibit functional free will.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·May 6, 2025·3 min read

Bodily Awareness Guides Moral Decision-Making

New research shows that people’s sensitivity to their internal bodily signals influences how closely they align with group moral preferences in dilemmas. Participants who were more aware of their heartbeat and internal states tended to make ethical choices that matched the group consensus.

This shows a woman on a tablet and an AI face.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 11, 2025·5 min read

When AI Becomes a Lover: The Ethics of Human-AI Relationships

As AI technologies grow more human-like, some people are forming deep, long-term emotional bonds with them, even engaging in non-legally binding marriages. A recent opinion paper explores the ethical risks of such relationships, including their potential to undermine human-human connections and provide dangerous or manipulative advice.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience Psychology

·August 9, 2024·5 min read

Moral Values Shift with the Seasons

A study has found that people's endorsement of moral values fluctuates seasonally, with group-focused values like loyalty, authority, and purity being more strongly supported in spring and fall. This fluctuation has significant implications for politics, legal decisions, and public health, as shifts in moral values can influence behaviors and judgments. The research also suggests a link between anxiety levels and these moral shifts, pointing to the potential impact of seasonal changes on societal outcomes.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience Psychology

·July 16, 2024·3 min read

Overestimation of Opponents’ Immorality Fuels Political Divide

A study reveals that Democrats and Republicans overestimate how much the opposing party approves of clearly immoral acts like theft or animal abuse. This "basic morality bias" is evident in social media posts and survey results, leading to increased political animosity.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·June 20, 2024·4 min read

Organoids and Embryo Models: Redefining Human Individuality?

Advances in organoids and embryonic models raise questions about human individuality. A new study argues these models can reinforce, not weaken, the concept of human individuality when viewed through personhood and sentience frameworks. Researchers emphasize that current technologies are far from achieving personhood in embryo models or organoids. The ethical focus should remain on the wellbeing of actual persons and sentient beings.

This shows models of researchers and a magnifying glass.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·February 26, 2024·5 min read

Researchers Overrate Their Ethical Practices

A new study identifies significant overestimation among researchers regarding their adherence to good research practice compared to their peers. Surveying over 11,000 Swedish researchers, the study uncovers a widespread belief in one's own ethical superiority, not just individually but also across entire research fields.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·February 4, 2024·5 min read

Neuralink’s Brain Chip Implant Marks New Era in Human-Computer Synergy

Elon Musk announces the first human has been successfully implanted with Neuralink's brain chip, named Telepathy, aiming to allow severe physically disabled individuals to control devices via thought. The FDA-approved trial focuses on the implant's potential for movement control, with the patient reportedly recovering well and showing promising initial results.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·January 10, 2024·3 min read

AI Chatbots “Memorize” Copyrighted Poems, Raising Ethical Concerns

AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are capable of memorizing and reproducing poems, even if they are copyrighted. The research highlights ethical concerns about how AI models are trained, potentially using data scraped from the internet, including copyrighted material.

This shows a girl with a cell in a graveyard.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·January 5, 2024·5 min read

Reviving the Dead in the Digital World

New research explores public attitudes towards digital resurrection of the deceased based on consent. Participants were presented with scenarios where a woman's digital version could be brought back with or without her consent. Results showed a significant shift in acceptability when consent was expressed, highlighting the importance of the deceased's wishes.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·September 19, 2023·4 min read

DishBrain: Bio-Computing’s Rise and Ethics in the Age of Living Machines

The revolutionary field of bio-computing is making waves as DishBrain, a neural system combining 800,000 living brain cells, learns to play Pong. Recognizing the pressing need for ethical guidelines in this emerging domain, the pioneers behind DishBrain have joined forces with bioethicists in a study.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·May 25, 2023·3 min read

Rights or Rites? Reimagining Robots’ Moral Status through Confucian Lens

As robots become more pervasive in our society, the question of whether they should be granted rights is a subject of increasing debate. A new analysis challenges this view. Instead of rights, researchers propose we view robots as 'rites bearers', drawing on principles from Confucianism that emphasize social harmony and role obligations.