Neural Interface

Neural interfaces are an extremely diverse, utilitous, and sometimes controversial technology that provides a link between technology and a user’s brain. They can allow for the remote operation of a machine, or give bionics perfect control of their robotic body parts. They can allow users to communicate pseudo-telepathically by sending messages to another’s interface via thought. They can enhance bodily senses or replace lost ones entirely, and provide enhanced mental cognition such as sharper memory and calculational ability.

Neural interfaces also open up opportunities for undesirable outcomes. They can potentially be hacked, allowing an external bad actor the potential to perform any actions the interface allows for, sometimes without the victim’s knowledge, such as monitoring thought signals or interacting with remote technology. This reason alone is enough incentive to prevent widespread adoption of fully capable interfaces, as standard external hardware for the same functions is typically readily available.

Some cultures have used neural interfaces for purposes deemed unethical or immoral. Devices can be implanted in children at a young age to steer their thoughts, experiences, and upbringing towards adoption of whatever values the controlling entity deems desirable. At its best, this practice can be argued to have positive effects for all members when people are guided toward personalities that are mostly universally deemed positive, such as heightened levels of empathy or generosity toward others (though even this use of the technology is of course not deemed acceptable by all). At its worst, the practice has the potential for a diversity of sinister uses.