Open research questions in Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations

What the literature leaves open

• The paper identifies the challenge of addressing the potential risks and consequences of sustained engagement with algorithmically personalized content. The authors highlight the need to develop novel approaches to clinical assessment and therapeutic interventions. The paper emphasizes the importance of extending public health responses to algorithmically mediated engagement beyond simple screen-time recommendations.

  Algorithmic dopamine economies: emerging psychiatric challenges in an artificial-intelligence-mediated attention ecology · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in existing diagnostic frameworks, which capture only narrow manifestations of overuse. The authors argue that the current understanding of the psychiatric challenges emerging from artificial-intelligence-mediated attention ecology is incomplete. The paper highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing the potential risks and consequences of sustained engagement with algorithmically personalized content.

  Algorithmic dopamine economies: emerging psychiatric challenges in an artificial-intelligence-mediated attention ecology · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the ethical evaluation of human gene editing, particularly in relation to the Catholic Church's understanding of human dignity. The study highlights the need for a moral framework to assess the compatibility of human gene editing with the Church's teaching. The paper notes that the Catholic Church's global moral influence can help delineate ethical boundaries between legitimate therapeutic intervention and unacceptable alteration of human nature.

  Created, Not Engineered: Analyzing Human Gene Editing from a Catholic Anthropological and Moral Perspective · 2026 · DOI

• Rather than defending EXT as a metaphysical claim, I treat it as a working assumption and ask: what ethical and political commitments does it entail? I argue that responses centered on epistemic virtue and cognitive diligence, though valuable, remain insufficient because they presuppose an individualistic framework inconsistent with EXT’s anti-individualism.

  The political turn of the extended mind: rethinking autonomy beyond individualism in a technological world · 2026 · DOI

• The development of biocomputing technologies raises questions about the moral status of biocomputers. There is a need to develop guidelines for the responsible development and use of biocomputers. The study of public attitudes towards biocomputers is complex and influenced by various factors.

  Ethical concerns about embodied brain organoids shaped by foundational distinctions and perceptions of consciousness · 2026 · DOI

• The connection between moral status and consciousness remains contested among philosophers. Several studies have investigated public moral intuitions about brain organoids, but findings are conflicting. There is a need for further research on public attitudes towards biocomputers and their potential impact on the development of biocomputing technologies.

  Ethical concerns about embodied brain organoids shaped by foundational distinctions and perceptions of consciousness · 2026 · DOI

• The Cartesian philosophical paradigm is facing unprecedented challenges in the contemporary era. The need for a framework to cope with the reconstruction of subjectivity, agency, and biopolitics in the technological era.

  Deconstructing "Cogito": Descartes' Specter and the Emergence of Posthuman Subjects · 2026 · DOI

• The systematic construction of a posthuman ethics requires in-depth development, particularly in developing an ethical framework to guide our coexistence with non-human actants—from animals and ecosystems to advanced AI.

  Deconstructing "Cogito": Descartes' Specter and the Emergence of Posthuman Subjects · 2026 · DOI

• The carrier bag theory framework is applied to critique the hero narrative in AWT design fictions, but the paper lacks empirical investigation of how prospective parents and healthcare providers actually conceptualize suffering, failure, and loss in relation to reproductive technologies and artificial gestation.

  Science fiction and the futures of artificial womb technology: towards a carrier bag theory of design fiction · 2026 · DOI

• The analysis of home-based artificial wombs (item 5) offering aesthetically-driven solutions like colored amniotic fluids identifies a commercialization pathway, but provides no data on how such consumer customization options would interact with medical safety standards, regulatory frameworks, or long-term fetal outcomes in uncontrolled home environments.

  Science fiction and the futures of artificial womb technology: towards a carrier bag theory of design fiction · 2026 · DOI

• The next phase of neurovictimology must be operational. Clear conceptual and diagnostic criteria are needed to identify neurotechnological victimization. Standardized protocols should govern the collection, storage, and interpretation of neural data.

  Neurovictimology and the risks of neurotechnologies and artificial intelligence: a forensic and legal perspective · 2026 · DOI

• loci of harm, where technological intervention may itself operate as a vector of victimization. they delineate plausible 3.4 Weaponization Military applications of neurotechnology, including brain– computer interfaces and cognitive modulation, raise concerns coercive manipulation and human rights violations about (Giordano, 2012; Ienca and Andorno, 2017).

  Neurovictimology and the risks of neurotechnologies and artificial intelligence: a forensic and legal perspective · 2026 · DOI

• Detection of invasions of mental privacy might arise from intricate neurotechnological systems that function imperceptibly to the user. Attribution of culpable individual may be challenging if cognitive interference transpires. Regulatory design is a further problem.

  Evaluating the Philosophical Necessity of a "Constitutional Right to Mental Privacy" · 2026 · DOI

• The implementation of neuro-rights into functional legal frameworks. The development of advanced regulatory regulation to safeguard cognitive autonomy. The exploration of the intersection of brain-computer interfaces with established civil freedoms.

  Evaluating the Philosophical Necessity of a "Constitutional Right to Mental Privacy" · 2026 · DOI

• The potential legal ramifications of epigenetic harms are not well understood. The implications of epigenetics on public health and preconception tort liability need to be discussed.

  1. Epigenetics, Preconception Tort Liability, and Public Health, 2. Regulating Cryptocurrency Airdrops, 3. Medical AI, Civil Recourse Theory, and No-Fault Compensation · 2026 · DOI

• Generally, NFT collections are limited to a maximum supply of 10,000. 343 Although definitive proof of insider trading is lacking, it is highly likely that this individual acted on insider information, as the requirement to hold 0.

  1. Epigenetics, Preconception Tort Liability, and Public Health, 2. Regulating Cryptocurrency Airdrops, 3. Medical AI, Civil Recourse Theory, and No-Fault Compensation · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the challenge of obtaining accountability and transparency in human experimentation. It highlights the difficulty of investigating and exposing the truth about secret experiments. The paper also emphasizes the challenge of ensuring that such experiments are not repeated in the future.

  Stranger things. Neurocientíficos militares y de la CIA en proyectos secretos de experimentación humana en los Estados Unidos (1945-1975) · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the history and consequences of secret human experimentation projects in the United States. It highlights the need for further research into the involvement of the military and CIA in these projects.

  Stranger things. Neurocientíficos militares y de la CIA en proyectos secretos de experimentación humana en los Estados Unidos (1945-1975) · 2026 · DOI

• The package includes a physical AI extension: in large-scale physical AI systems, the body may no longer be limited to a humanoid shell, robotic limb, or local sensor-actuator frame.

  SΔϕ-52 — Body as Non-Deferrable Cost Return: Operational Body, Body Theater, and Distributed AI Body Infrastructure (v1.0, AI-Readable Package) · 2026 · DOI

• Ethical considerations, such as concerns about mental and physical integrity, human dignity, and the right to rehabilitation. Legal considerations, such as the need for transparent communication with clients and the potential for reduced responsibility claims. Practical concerns, such as the need for contextual interpretation of neural data and the potential for self-fulfilling prophecies.

  Neuroscience informed risk assessment and management in forensic mental healthcare: a qualitative analysis of ethical and legal challenges and practice-oriented recommendations · 2026 · DOI

• Yudith Haveman 1,2, Vero Jin 1 and Josanne D. M. van Dongen 1* 1Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands Risk assessment for determining the risk for recidivism in offenders, is a core task within forensic mental healthcare. While current tools predict recidivism with 65–75% accuracy, emerging research suggests that neurobiological factors may enhance predictive validity and aid in treatment response and risk management. Yet, translation into forensic mental health practice stays limited. This study explores the ethical and legal considerations of integrating neurotechnology, specifically neuroprediction and neuromodulation, into forensic mental healthcare. A structured conceptual frameworkis provided as input for the qualitative focus group study (N = 16) involving professionals and experts by experience. The focus groups revealed a complex interplay between human rights, normative principles, and practical concerns. Key themes include mental integrity, privacy, stigmatization, and informed consent. Participants emphasized the need for contextual interpretation of neural data and transparent communication with clients when neurotechnology, including neural data is used. The findings support cautious optimism for the role of neurotechnology in forensic care, contingent on further research and interdisciplinary dialogue.

  Neuroscience informed risk assessment and management in forensic mental healthcare: a qualitative analysis of ethical and legal challenges and practice-oriented recommendations · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the challenge of addressing issues related to digital persistence, ecological duration, and cultural hyper-memory. The paper argues that Metazoic ontology is necessary to address the urgent need for an ontology of continuity. The paper identifies the challenge of developing an epistemology of relation and care, and a phenomenological-poetic approach.

  ENHANCEMENT TO CONTINUITY · 2026 · DOI

• The paper suggests that future research should focus on developing the concept of Metazoic ontology and its implications for human existence. The paper argues that Metazoic ontology has significant implications for pedagogy, art, and politics.

  ENHANCEMENT TO CONTINUITY · 2026 · DOI

• The paper proposes a structured research agenda to operationalize and test the hypothesis of delegated cognition dependency (DCD) across multiple levels of analysis.

  Delegated Cognition. Generative AI and the Future of Human Development. · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the current discourse surrounding artificial intelligence, which focuses primarily on capability rather than the effects of AI on human beings. The paper argues that the preservation of human developmental processes is a crucial challenge in the AI era.

  Delegated Cognition. Generative AI and the Future of Human Development. · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations

• Posthumanist Performativity: Toward an Understanding of How Matter Comes to Matter · Signs · 2003 · 4,698 citations
• Human Experimentation: Code of Ethics of W.M.A · BMJ · 1964 · 1,120 citations
• The Politics of Life Itself · Theory Culture & Society · 2001 · 1,111 citations
• Embodiment: a conceptual glossary for epidemiology · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 2005 · 720 citations
• On the conflicts between biological and social evolution and between psychology and moral tradition. · American Psychologist · 1975 · 678 citations
• The Affective Turn · Theory Culture & Society · 2008 · 495 citations
• The Global Traffic in Human Organs · Current Anthropology · 2000 · 487 citations
• The politics of care in technoscience · Social Studies of Science · 2015 · 483 citations
• Ethics Creep: Governing Social Science Research in the Name of Ethics · Qualitative Sociology · 2004 · 456 citations
• Paternalism · The Monist · 1972 · 412 citations

Most recent work

• SΔϕ-52 — Body as Non-Deferrable Cost Return: Embodiment, Subject Formation, and the Cost-Return Coordinate · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
• Safeguarding Neural Data · Neurology · 2026
• Quantum-enhanced throughput pathways: Integrating Rodgers' TPM with quantum ethical frameworks for AI-driven cybersecurity · Acta Psychologica · 2026
• Moral Status and Slippery Slope Concerns about Bodyoids · Philosophy & Technology · 2026
• Remaining Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Spiritual and Psychiatric Reflections on Magnifica Humanitas · Journal of Religion and Health · 2026
• From AI Psychosis to Brain Rot: How pseudo-diagnoses endanger genuine psychological and medical discovery in challenging times · Computers in Human Behavior · 2026
• Digital vulnerabilities · Media Culture & Society · 2026
• Out of breath! All the ‘time’: a cri(p)oetic exploration of ‘undefined’ dis/ability in the ableist world/academia · Culture and Organization · 2026
• Two Tales of Long-term Collaboration: Social Scientific Involvement in Artificial Intelligence in Japan and Synthetic Biology in the UK · East Asian Science Technology and Society An International Journal · 2026
• Transhumanist Scenarios of the (Post)Human Future · Diacovensia · 2026

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