[acc-cca-l] CFP: Panel on NeuroData and NeuroJustice at CCA in Toronto

[Katherine Reilly]

[△EXTERNAL]


Dear colleagues,

This is an open call to anyone interested in collaborating on a panel about NeuroData and NeuroJustice at the 2025 CCA conference in Toronto.

Neurodata has been identified as the next frontier<https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/canada-neural-privacy-1.7346520> in both data science research and privacy protection<https://www.techpolicy.press/neurodata-the-new-epicenter-of-data-protection/>.  Neurodata, neurotechnology and biometric data are being promoted as a means to address mental health challenges, engage in self-learning, generate innovations in health technology (such as treatments for Parkinson’s<https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/ihuman-perspective/>), and conduct marketing and advertising.  Recent research has combined brain data from MRI or EEG scans with AI to produce images of what subjects are seeing<https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-re-creates-what-people-see-reading-their-brain-scans>, as well as the images they see in their dreams<https://medium.com/@jain.sm/dreamdiffusion-turning-brainwaves-into-pictures-bec68582a038>, meaning that technology is literally on the verge of seeing into our thoughts.  Given its potential applications, neurodata has spurred investments by various artificial intelligence, social media and gaming companies. Snapchat, which acquired NextMind<https://ar.snap.com/welcome-nextmind>, is exploring how neurodata can be used to generate augmented realities.  Meta is collaborating with Neurospin and INRIA to study language processing.  And Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, created a computer-brain interface that enabled a recipient to play Mario Kart with his mind<https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/neuralink-human-trial-video-games-musk-b2542061.html>.

As innovation presses ahead, it leaves unanswered important questions about the social and ethical implications of neurodata as it relates to socio-economic, epistemic and cognitive justice.  Recent journalistic coverage of the Brain School<https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/brain-school-study-indigenous-biocybernaut-james-hardt> revealed that the University of Regina gave ethics approval to the US company Biocybernaut Institute to experiment on neurofeedback as a treatment for trauma among indigenous youth.  Meanwhile, labour groups have raised concerns about the use of neurodata to monitor employees<https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65822889>.  These concerns and more have resulted in advocacy<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-023-00873-0> for “NeuroRights,” and new neurojustice regulations have been introduced in several jurisdictions including Chile, Spain, California and Colorado.  Interest in neuroscience has also given rise to new narratives and social imaginaries represented by science fiction shows such as Severance<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severance_(TV_series)>.

This panel will convene papers that broadly explore NeuroData, NeuroJusitce, and related themes, drawing on communications, media, STS, cultural or humanities perspectives.  If you’d like to be part of this panel proposal to CCA, please reach out to Dr. Katherine Reilly at kreilly at sfu.ca<mailto:kreilly at sfu.ca> by December 2, 2024.  Please share a few words about your interest in this theme.

Best,

Katherine


Dr. Katherine Reilly
Associate Professor, School of Communication
Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT)
SSHRC Lead for SFU

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