11. November 2025

As AI and Neurotechnology increasingly intertwine, they hold the power to revolutionise neuroscience, but also raise profound ethical questions about privacy, autonomy, and human agency.

Neurotechnology, which directly interfaces with the human nervous system, is evolving rapidly with the help of AI. This fusion could unlock groundbreaking medical and scientific progress, but it also challenges how we think about decision-making, consent, and the boundaries of human thought.

UNESCO’s Member States took the final step towards adopting the first global normative framework on the ethics of neurotechnology. The Recommendation, which will enter into force on November 12, establishes essential safeguards to ensure that neurotechnology contributes to improving the lives of those who need it the most, without jeopardizing human rights. The new UNESCO standard-setting instrument calls on governments to ensure that neurotechnology remains inclusive and affordable, while establishing safeguards to preserve the sanctity of the human mind.

Listen to Marcello Ienca, member of UNESCO’s Ad Hoc Expert Group on on the Ethics of Neurotechnology exploring how AI is transforming neurotechnology — and why ethics and transparency must lead the way as we navigate this new frontier of the mind.

Read more about the framework  on the UNESCO Website