Embodied Neural Systems Can Enable Iterative Investigations of Morally Relevant States

• Published in: The Journal of neuroscience Vol. 44; no. 15; p. e0431242024
• Main Authors: Kagan, Brett J, Loeffler, Alon, Boyd, J Lomax, Savulescu, Julian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society for Neuroscience 10.04.2024
• Subjects: Data processing; Ethics; Information processing; Investigations; Neurosciences
• ISSN: 0270-6474; 1529-2401
• DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0431-24.2024

Kagan et al discuss the use of embodied neural systems, which can enable iterative investigations of morally relevant states. The development of intelligent information processing systems that integrate neural tissue with synthetic computing systems, known as Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI), raises ethical considerations regarding the presence of morally relevant states. They propose an iterative approach to understanding the moral status of neural systems by building simple tests to identify clear metrics of interest across systems with varying levels of complexity. They highlight the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and ethicists to investigate and ethically evaluate SBI phenomena. They argue that an iterative process of development and testing can provide tools to investigate metrics that may predict or correlate with morally relevant states, allowing neuroscience to inform ethics. It can also aid in identifying when in vitro cultures start to show hallmarks of morally relevant states, thereby allowing ethics to inform neuroscience.