A review of ethical considerations for the medical applications of brain-computer interfaces

The development and potential applications of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are directly related to the human brain and may have adverse effects on the users’ physical and mental health. Ethical issues, particularly those associated with BCIs, including both non-medical and medical applications, have captured societal attention. This article initially reviews the application of three ethical frameworks in BCI technology: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Subsequently, it introduces the ethical standards under consideration within the medical objective framework for BCI medical applications. Finally, the paper discusses and forecasts the ethical standards for BCI medical applications. The paper emphasizes the necessity to differentiate between the ethical issues of implantable and non-implantable BCIs, to approach the research on BCI-based “controlling the brain” with caution, and to establish standardized operational procedures and efficacy evaluation methods for BCI medical applications. This paper aims to provide ideas for the establishment of ethical standards in BCI medical applications.