Conversations with Women in STEAM: The Ethics of AI with Dr. Nita Farahany

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Technology is converging with our bodies, even our minds. What are the dilemmas and opportunities?

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is excited to welcome one of the world’s foremost experts on the ethics of neuroscience, Dr. Nita Farahany, for a compelling discussion on AI and mental privacy. Dr. Farahany is the Founding Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society and author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. She speaks regularly about the complicated legal and ethical dilemmas we face as we move further into a neurotechnology revolution.

This program is part of the Museum’s Conversations with Women in STEAM series, which features accomplished women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. From authors to astronauts, these presenters emphasize the important role of women in STEAM careers and the impact they have on future generations.

Museum doors open at 6:30pm; the discussion will begin at 7pm. Beverages and grab-and-go items will be available for purchase in Origins Café before the program.

Tickets

Leadership Circle: $20*
Members: $25**
Nonmembers: $30

*To learn more about joining the Leadership Circle, please contact Kelly Federico, Annual Fund Manager, at 216.231.4600 x3360 or kfederico@cmnh.org.

**Members: Please log in to your online Museum account to ensure access to discounted tickets. Your member discount will be reflected in your shopping cart.

Parking

Parking is available in the Museum's attached garage; standard rates apply. Find more information on directions and parking here.

About Dr. Nita Farahany

Imagine a world where employers can see into their workers’ brains. Where your thoughts can be tracked through AI. And where you can peer into your own mind to cure addictions. All of this is possible today, thanks to the merging of Artificial Intelligence and neuroscience. In her brilliant new book, The Battle for Your Brain, Nita Farahany offers us a much-needed map to navigate this fast-changing technological landscape. How do we avoid the dangers of lost privacy and rights while taking advantage of the unprecedented opportunities? With the rapid advance of wearable neurotech and generative AI (think ChatGPT), we face important ethical questions about privacy, human rights, equity, and even what it means to be human.

“We are at a pivotal moment in human history, in which control of our brains can be enhanced or lost,” Nita says. “We need to define contours of cognitive liberty now or risk being too late to do so.” But these technologies, Nita argues, are also an opportunity to transform how we learn, work, and live.

You’re driving home after a long day, desperate to stay awake. Suddenly, a mild zap from your headrest bolts you upright, alert. You’re safe—no caffeine required. This kind of revolutionary device is already in action, and they’re only getting more sophisticated. Nita is at the forefront of the technology and ethics of wearable AI devices that use our biological and neurological data. An internationally acclaimed thought leader who bridges law, ethics, and technology to champion ethical progress in science and technology, she says these “mind-reading” neuroscience and AI technologies will revolutionize everything. The same zap that can save a drowsy driver can also be used in the workplace to increase safety measures or tell businesses whether their customers really love what they’re looking at.

Nita leads audiences on an optimistic but cautionary tour through the future of AI programs like ChatGPT and neurotechnology. She goes over the necessary regulations and shifts that need to be implemented with this rapidly developing technology, including how employers must build employee trust when adopting new technologies in the workplace. If we want to make the most out of AI and neurotech, transparency is vital.

President Obama appointed Nita to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, where she served for seven years. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council for the National Institute for Neurological Disease and Stroke, as an elected member of the American Law Institute, and on the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks for the World Economic Forum, among others. Nita is a co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences and is on the Board of Advisors for Scientific American. As an ethics consultant, her expertise is sought by corporations and governments worldwide. Her contributions have been recognized through election to prestigious bodies, including the American Law Institute, the Uniform Laws Commission, and the AAAS.

Nita is the Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy and Founding Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. She is a widely published scholar on the ethics of emerging technologies, including the book The Battle for Your Brain: Defending Your Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. She spearheads research on futurism, law, and ethical implications of emerging technologies for society—offering a roadmap for cognitive freedom in our increasingly interconnected world.