Superethics Instead of Superintelligence: Know Thyself, and Apply Science Accordingly

Eyes on the road: brain computer interfaces and cognitive distraction in traffic

Novel wearable neurotechnology is able to provide insight into its wearer's cognitive processes and offers ways to change or enhance their capacities. Moreover, it offers the promise of hands-free device control. These brain-computer interfaces are likely to become an everyday technology in the near future, due to their increasing accessibility and affordability. We, therefore, must anticipate their impact, not only on society and individuals broadly but also more specifically on sectors such as traffic and transport. In an economy where attention is increasingly becoming a scarce good, these innovations may present both opportunities and challenges for daily activities that require focus, such as driving and cycling. Here, we argue that their development carries a dual risk. Firstly, BCI-based devices may match or further increase the intensity of cognitive human-technology interaction over the current hands-free communication devices which, despite being widely accepted, are well-known for introducing a significant amount of cognitive load and distraction. Secondly, BCI-based devices will be typically harder than hands-free devices to both visually detect (e.g., how can law enforcement check when these extremely small and well-integrated devices are used?) and restrain in their use (e.g., how do we prevent users from using such neurotechnologies without breaching personal integrity and privacy?). Their use in traffic should be anticipated by researchers, engineers, and policymakers, in order to ensure the safety of all road users.

General orders for the embedded researcher: Moorings for a developing profession

Learning health systems increasingly welcome embedded researchers as stakeholders poised to inform evidence-based practice. While care systems are potentially familiar with the embedded researcher tools and techniques, care systems may less frequently consider embedded research as a vocation. This insensitivity potentially reduces embedded researchers merely to instruments, as opposed to professional partners in transdisciplinary research. This discussion outlines "general orders" for embedded researchers. The general orders outline embedded researchers' fundamental identity and guide conduct as a means to encourage a shared identity among embedded researchers and clarify embedded researchers' roles in learning health system teams. Students and embedded researchers newly engaging learning health systems may particularly benefit from this rudimentary order list.