DARPA Plans Portable Brain Recorders for American Classrooms

As issues like the National Security Agency scandal and the use of drones have demonstrated, new technological advances can sometimes present new challenges when it comes to protecting the security and privacy of the general public. Though smartphones and the internet have unleashed previously-unseen levels of productivity and connectivity for mankind, they have also littered servers with a gold mine of private data, ripe for theft by hackers or agents at the NSA. Skeptics often point out some of these potential security risks as new technological advances are being planned by scientists.

Activist Post is reporting that the Department of Defense sub-agency DARPA is soliciting help from contractors on an alarming new project that calls for the development of low-cost portable brain recorders for use in “every classroom in America.” Considering the fact that the NSA just stole enormous amounts of private data from every web and cell phone user worldwide, one can only imagine the chaos that would unfold if a government agency ever gained similar access to brain activity records. However, neural interfaces can be used for lots of consumer-friendly applications in industries like gaming, communication, and healthcare. Let’s discuss the ethical issues surrounding this type of technology.

DARPA Shouldn’t Be Working on Low-Cost Portable Brain Recorders

Whether or not one believes that portable brain recorders could be useful, the US Constitution does not authorize DARPA to develop consumer products. The agency has only been granted the authority to build weapons for national defense purposes. DARPA claims it needs the devices to help with first-aid on the battlefield or to monitor soldiers’ brain activity during battles, but only as an afterthought, as its solicitation paper primarily discusses a broad range of consumer applications as justifications for developing the technology.

The particularly alarming part is DARPA’s focus on the use of portable brain recorders in American classrooms. The solicitation paper sells the idea by describing some fairly harmless-sounding educational applications, “Having EEGs in every classroom in America would engage students in science and technology in a way not previously possible in the field of neuroscience. Teachers could design lesson plans in biology about the brain and sensory systems, and use hands-on demonstrations to engage students. Students could record their own brain activity and download the data to their iPad.” This sounds fairly innocent, but imagine what might happen if schools required students to wear the devices and began recording all of the resulting data. That type of tyrannical brainwashing program could be the basis of the plot of a dystopian film.

The Advantages of Neural Interfaces

While the DOD shouldn’t be developing this type of technology, it’s hard to argue against the basic premise being presented by DARPA — low-cost, $30 neural interfaces would be a technological game-changer for consumers. However, such innovations would need to come from the private marketplace in order to be trusted. A DARPA-developed portable EEG recorder would likely include some type of back door to allow access by government officials.

A privately-developed, inexpensive neural interface could allow people to access the internet hands-free. There are already gaming applications for the technology. Individuals could benefit from being able to monitor, record, or store brain activity on their own. There are limitless possibilities as to how the tech could be used to benefit mankind.

That said, DARPA is not an agency that develops products for the benefit of mankind. DARPA creates weapons of war, and the government shouldn’t be allowed unrestrained use of this type of technology.

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