Future of Consciousness Institute
Creating a set of Neuro Tech Ethics Principles
towards Human Flourishing
Who are we?
We are technologists, neuroscientists, activists, artists, hackers, & worldbuilders, who see a need for a guide for the development of neuro-tech for all humanity. Our goal is to start a discourse around advancements of neurotech with the goal of defining a set of design principles towards an ethical, consent-driven, safe, equitable, and inclusive transition towards singularity.
Why is this needed?
The number of branches on the possibility tree that leads us towards a dystopian reality outnumbers the ‘good’ ones.
If we were to develop these highly consequential technologies without our best ethical judgment & holding them to weight, it may lead to our annihilation.
“Which sci fi do we want to manifest?”
If the technology naturally runs its course without inhibitions, it may turn out to be something similar to the current healthcare system: misaligned incentives, obscurity in payments (insurance system), all players suffer – or even worse, to our annihilation, as these interventions get amplified into our biological selves.
What is our goal?
Starting a discourse around advancements of neurotech with the goal of defining a set of design principles towards an ethical, consent-driven, safe, equitable, and inclusive transition towards singularity.
We wish to define what it means to have neural/psychological sovereignty over our selves.
We don’t have all the answers, but we would like the conversation to be as intentional as possible, and allow for as many voices to contribute as possible.
This is our call-to-action.
ROADMAP
Our core team authors the manifesto, and publishes it as a forking, open source, collaborative piece.
THE COMMUNITY
Opening it up to the wider community, seeding the formation of a DAO
Open Sourcing Forks
We are open source hackers, and science fiction artists, who see a need for a flourishing ecosystem that belongs to us...
We are biotechnology ethicists concerned with the future dangers of implications of neurotechn advancements and data sovereignty...
We are indigenous voices who advocate for sovereignty, and can provide a historical lens on the pitfalls of rapid technological progress compromising individual privacy
THE CONFERENCE
We will be holding a retreat, inspired by Asilomar - an influential conference that set mutually agreed-upon, & communally upheld principles for biotechnology & DNA manipulation.
Our conference will be a long weekend that fosters an ecosystem of those who are already ‘at the table’, and those who have historically been excluded from the table, who will be affected by Neuro-tech all the same.
By bringing in diverse perspectives to address the manifesto & various open-ended questions, we will be able to discover our shared principles, as well as see where our needs converge, to get a first pass at consensus as a community.
JOIN US
If you can see yourself joining or amplifying the conversation as a:
Ethical/Philosophical Org, Tech Industry, Academia, Media,
Science Fiction Creator, Funder, or Community Leader,
email us at hello@futureofconsciousness.org
OUR STRUCTURE
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Julia Bossman ⊛ Michelle Huang ⊛ Kaixi Yang
CREATIVE COMMUNITY
Principles are cool, but what about embodied principles through how we treat & make with each other?
THE BRAIN TRUST
We want to supply funds to projects that exemplify the principles we co-create.
CONSULTING ARM
We want to provide wisdom & support for those creating the fundamental infrastructure of Neuro-tech