As such technologies advance, they promise to transform the lives of people with severe communication impairments. But they also raise profound questions about privacy, autonomy, freedom of thought, and equality.
Professor Jennifer Chandler has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant to explore this fascinating new frontier with the goal of shaping the future governance of emerging neurotechnologies. Her project, entitled “Human Rights Law and Communication Neuroprostheses: Freedom of Thought and Speech, Mental Privacy, and Equality,” brings together an interdisciplinary team spanning law, neuroscience, philosophy, disability studies, health sciences and more to examine the profound legal, ethical and policy challenges raised by technologies capable of translating neural activity directly into communication.
These new technologies hold extraordinary promise for individuals with conditions such as ALS, cerebral palsy, aphasia, and other neurological or neurodegenerative disorders that impair speech. By enabling users to communicate directly through decoded neural signals, these technologies could significantly enhance autonomy and participation in social life. But they also create unprecedented challenges surrounding the collection, interpretation, governance, and protection of neural data. Professor Chandler’s project addresses these questions from multiple perspectives. Conceptually, the research will examine how brain activity relates to thought and communication, and how fundamental rights are implicated in the process of decoding neural signals. The project will also explore emerging international debates surrounding “neurorights” and the regulation of neurotechnology.
At the centre of the project are the perspectives of those who stand to benefit most from these technologies. The research team includes individuals with communication impairments, and the project will conduct empirical research involving participants in this community and their caregivers. This research will examine how individuals balance complex trade-offs involving usability, accuracy, privacy, autonomy, and control over personal neural data. The project aims to ensure that the governance and design of communication neuroprostheses (CNPs) reflect the lived experiences and priorities of those most directly affected by these technologies.
The project will also identify gaps in existing Canadian legal frameworks and develop proposals for legal and regulatory reform. Importantly, the research recognizes that protecting human rights may require more than legislation alone. By working closely with scientists and engineers, the team hopes to identify ways that human rights values can be embedded directly into the design of CNPs themselves, advancing approaches grounded in responsible innovation and values-sensitive design.
This highly interdisciplinary initiative reflects the growing importance of collaboration across fields in addressing the societal implications of emerging technologies. The research team brings together expertise in law, disability studies, sociology, ethics, neuroscience, neuroengineering, speech-language pathology, rehabilitation, and health care. This broad range of perspectives is essential to understanding both the technical realities of CNPs and their broader human and social consequences.
Beyond academia, the project’s findings will have significant implications for policymakers, regulators, clinicians, courts, and technology developers. As neurotechnologies continue to evolve rapidly, Professor Chandler’s work will help inform Canadian and international conversations about how innovation can proceed in ways that protect human dignity, equality, and fundamental rights.
SSHRC Insight Grants support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. The goal of the Insight programis to build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world.
The Faculty of Law congratulates Professor Chandler and her research team on this exceptional achievement!