Human enhancement news

SIENNA ethics guidelines for human enhancement R&D

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:53:00 GMT

The SIENNA project's ethical guidelines for human enhancement research and development have just been published in Science. They cover a broad range of interventions, drugs, treatments and other technologies that can improve human abilities, that fall outside the scope of medical interventions.

Promoting ethics for human enhancement technologies

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:26:00 GMT

Some human enhancement is controversial socially and morally. They promise the advancement of humanity, but also introduce serious risks to health and well-being, freedom, and equality. Human enhancement research and development can be missed in ethical and legislative review. The field is broad, and enhancement potential can be difficult to predict, especially if such potential is not actively sought. In all cases, guidance is needed. The SIENNA project just published a policy brief that aims to addresses the need for policies aimed at ethical guidance for research, development and deployment of human enhancement technologies.

Simple solutions to complex issues? Technology and the human brain

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 07:02:00 GMT

Neurotechnological developments could shift focus away from complexity and careful consideration of the human condition. In a recent paper, SIENNA’s Yasemin J Erden writes about the convergence of neuroscience, neurotechnology, psychiatry, and artificial intelligence for diagnostic processes. And how taking an over-optimistic approach to technology developments might result in a simplistic view on complex issues like mental illness and psychiatric disorder.

Webinar on ethical guidelines for human enhancement on 14 December

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:24:00 GMT

Education and exercise can enhance our abilities. So can technology: in the form of implants, drugs, genetic enhancement or machines. This comes with ethical, legal and social challenges. On 14 December, SIENNA invites you to participate in a webinar on ethical guidelines for technologies that can, or could, be used to enhance human abilities.

Time for ethical guidance for human enhancement?

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 07:36:00 GMT

Until recently, human enhancement technologies were mostly science fiction. Today, implants, drugs and prosthetics are available to enhance human abilities. Despite intense discussions in society and academia, few efforts have been successful in establishing ethical guidance for the use and development of these technologies. Could now be a good time to develop such guidelines? SIENNA researchers are trying to find out. Curious? Download our report!

Public awareness & perceptions of human enhancement technologies

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 06:02:00 GMT

Implants, drugs, genetic enhancement and prosthetics can enhance human abilities. But using technology for human enhancement comes with ethical, legal and social challenges. As a society, we need to discuss the ethical questions of what is normal, what is natural, what is moral and what can be permitted. SIENNA asked 11,000 people in 11 countries what they think about technologies that can be used to improve human abilities. It turns out that South African, Greek and Brazilian respondents were most positive towards the use of different human enhancement technologies, while people in Germany, the US and France were more hesitant. Curious about what they think we should and should not enhance? Read our report!

Research ethics codes and guidelines for human enhancement

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:52:00 GMT

Although there are no international research ethics codes or guidelines for the broad overall topic of human enhancement, we have surveyed selected relevant codes and guidelines for technologies that can be used for this purpose. If you want to know more about specific angles on particular contexts, often national or focused on application areas, we are able to offer you a large body of codes and guidelines!

Legal requirements for human enhancement technologies

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 06:44:00 GMT

Want to better understand legal developments and regulatory approaches related human enhancement? The SIENNA project has documented and delivered a critical assessment of the legal issues raised by human enhancement technologies in and outside the EU. We looked at the national, EU and international level. If you want an analysis of EU law and international and regional legal orders in relation to human enhancement, we suggest you download our report!

Into human enhancement? SIENNA newsletter out today!

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:15:00 GMT

SIENNA has published a state-of-the-art review on human enhancement technologies. If you want to read about it, download it, and find out what else we have done and haven’t received the e-mail, you are not on our list. So go ahead and sign up to find out what we do! (or read it by clicking the link below).

State-of-the-art review of human enhancement

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 10:22:00 GMT

The SIENNA team working on the ethical, legal and human rights issues of human enhancement technologies finished their state-of-the-art review of the field. The report offers overviews of the philosophical debate around the issue, of the existing and expected applications, and a socio-economic impact assessment of human enhancement technologies. SIENNA researchers also identified six subcategories of enhancement, all of which you can read about in the state-of-the-art report that is now available for download on the SIENNA website!

Greek law on Human Enhancement

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:41:00 GMT

Like in many other countries, there are no specific laws relating to human enhancement technologies in Greece. However, there is more general legislation that can be applied to human enhancement. Because of this lack of legislation, the Greek Commission on Bioethics has issued two separate Opinions on Human Enhancement. In a pre-print article in SSRN, SIENNA legal scholar Maria Canellopoulou-Bottis from the Ionian University in Greece presents the Greek law on human enhancement.

Neuroenhancement of children and adolescents raises ethical questions

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:31:00 GMT

How much should we be allowed to shape your children? And what are the ethical an social questions that arise from enhancing young people? Lately, discussions on “neuroenhancement” have become relevant, both in academia, medical practice and among the public. A recent book edited by Saskia Nagel offers a unique collection of articles on pediatric neuroenhancement.

Want to know more about the ELSI of Human Enhancement? Connect to find out what we do!

Tue, 28 May 2019 07:51:00 GMT

Education and exercise can enhance our abilities. So can technology: in the form of implants, drugs, genetic enhancement or machines. This comes with ethical, legal and social challenges. As a society, we need to discuss the ethical questions of what is normal, what is natural, what is moral and what can be permitted.

Human Enhancement: legal analysis complete!

Mon, 20 May 2019 12:04:00 GMT

SIENNA partners have completed their research on legal developments and human rights challenges related to human enhancement technologies. We have covered the legal developments on the international level and in the EU, and completed 12 country studies of the national level, looking at the relevant laws and human rights standards.

Applications, benefits and concerns of human enhancement

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:28:00 GMT

Human enhancement is no longer science fiction. Developments in biomedicine and neuroscience demands practical discussion about its ethical, legal, and social implications. SIENNA uses a structured approach to examine the challenges to society. Check out our new infographic to find out more about the applications, benefits and concerns related to human enhancement technologies!

Recap of Human Enhancement foresight workshop

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:24:00 GMT

On 16-17 January, the SIENNA project arranged a foresight workshop on human enhancement. Stakeholders and experts spent one and a half days discussing the future ethical and impacts. A short report is coming, but for anyone interested, a recap of the event is available on Twitter.

Human Enhancement: Issues for SIENNA

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:19:00 GMT

We can use technology to enhance different abilities: physical, emotional, cognitive, and moral. This challenges boundaries between treatment and enhancement, health and illness. Does this question human nature? Should some things remain unchanged? Or is it human to enhance? Watch our new video to find out more!

Let us know what you think about Human Enhancement

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:43:00 GMT

What kind of impact will new technologies have on our lives? Will technolgy replace us, or give us new opportunities? Please help SIENNA by completing a survey about socio-economic impacts of human enhancement technologies. Let us know what you think by February 12!

Final SIENNA deliverables now available!

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 14:17:00 GMT

Want to take a look at our ethical frameworks for AI & Robotics, Human Enhancement and Genetics & Genomics? The last of the SIENNA project's reports were recently made public on Zenodo and are now available for download!

SIENNA awarded WSIS prize

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:04:00 GMT

SIENNA was announced a champion project at the World Summit on the Information Society prizes award ceremony on 31 May 2022. The WSIS Prizes contest was developed after requests from stakeholders to create a mechanism to evaluate projects and activities that have leveraged the power of information and communication technologies to advance sustainable development in different ways.

SIENNA policy briefs in Greek

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:50:00 GMT

The SIENNA project has issued a series of policy briefs that have now been translated to Greek!

Ethical governance of disruptive technologies

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 09:53:00 GMT

The European Parliament STOA panel organised a workshop on 23 March that took its point of departure from current discussion and legislative agenda in relation to artificial intelligence. Together with the SHERPA and PANELFIT projects, SIENNA helped move the discussion beyond AI to find out how can we build on what was learned from that discourse to prepare for the next wave of scientific and technological advances. Miss the workshop? The event was recorded and is now available for everyone to watch!

TechEthos: New project using ethics to shape technology of the future

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 08:00:00 GMT

Technological developments and breakthroughs often bring shocking and spectacular changes to society. Highly complex, disruptive and transformative, they challenge human values, freedoms and societies. To maximise the benefit for society and minimise potential harms, we need to understand and address the ethical and social implications of new and emerging technologies. Making sure we are not forgetting marginalised and vulnerable populations. As the SIENNA project ends, a new Horizon2020 project begins. Building on our results to bring ethical and societal values into the design and development of new and emerging technologies. Want to know more? We suggest you sign up to the TechEthos newsletter and follow them on Twitter!

Addressing societal concerns in public research funding

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 11:39:00 GMT

On 5 March 2021, the SIENNA project organised a webinar to present and discuss outcomes from our work on addressing societal concerns in public research funding. Miss the webinar? Don't worry, a recording of the presentation by Nicole Santiago is now available!

Ethics, Human Rights & Emerging Technologies: SIENNA final conference recording available!

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:09:00 GMT

The SIENNA project ended on 31 March 2021. The results of our 3,5 year project were presented at a three day conference: Discussing the ethical and human rights issues raised by emerging technologies, and the methods and instruments propose to govern need for ethical guidance and governance of emerging technologies. We have recorded our presentations on regulation, innovation policies, research ethics frameworks, Ethics by Design methodologies, education and training progammes, standards, and certification. Did you miss the event? Don't worry! We recorded it!

Ethics & human rights for new and emerging technologies: Take home messages from the SIENNA project

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 12:18:00 GMT

Human genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics offer benefits for both individuals and society. But these technologies also challenge human rights and our notions of what is ethical. SIENNA has developed frameworks and proposals for the ethical management and legal regulation of human genetics and genomics, technologies for human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics. Interested to know more? We have published a policy brief summarising the key messages that can be drawn from the SIENNA project!

Enhancing national legal frameworks for AI & robotics: SIENNA project Policy Brief #3

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 12:38:00 GMT

National policy-makers should ensure that any changes in legislation responding to AI and robotics are fit for purpose and in accordance with the country’s international obligations, especially with regards to human rights and societal values. There is need for legal clarity and guidance.

Policy options for the ethical governance of disruptive technologies: open STOA panel on 23 March

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 11:58:00 GMT

We invite you to an online event that takes its point of departure from the current discussion and legislative agenda of AI. Focusing on issues and challenges in need of particular attention, and how can they be addressed: Moving beyond AI to find out how can we build on what was learned from that discourse to prepare for the next wave of scientific and technological advances. The SHERPA, SIENNA and PANELFIT projects have been involved in developing the programme and panels, and now we invite you to join the STOA panel on 23 March!.

SIENNA webinar on societal concerns in public research funding

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 08:08:00 GMT

Both public research funders and researchers have an obligation to the public to ensure that research has a positive impact on society, which includes addressing concerns and mitigating potential harm. Societal concerns about new and emerging technologies relate to ethical, human rights, and socio-economic impacts – many of which were identified in the SIENNA project. Join us online on Friday, March 5 at 13.30 CET to discuss methodology for identifying and addressing societal concerns in public research on new and emerging technologies!

Thank you for contributing in our public consultation process!

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 07:34:00 GMT

Between 11-25 January the SIENNA project shared proposals for public consultation. The documents outline ways to suppor the ethical management of human genetics and genomics, technologies that can be used to enhance human abilities, artificial intelligence and robotics. The input will now feed into the reports we submit to the European Commission. Want to know more? Join us on 11-12 of March when we present the results from the project at our final conference!

Save the Date for the SIENNA final conference: 10-12 March

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:26:00 GMT

The SIENNA project is coming to an end. We invite you to an online event on 10-12 March where we will present and discuss our results and proposals for the ethical management of human genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics. And how the SIENNA approaches can be generalised to other new and emerging technlogies.

Last chance to give input: public consultation ends 25 January!

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:19:00 GMT

Monday 25 January is the last chance to give input in our public consultation on proposals for the ethical management of new and emerging technologies. Don't forget to submit your feedback on our documents!

Public consultation on ethical guidance for genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 09:00:00 GMT

New technologies challenge our notions of what is ethical. The SIENNA project has developed stakeholder informed proposals for the ethical development, deployment and use of new and emerging technologies. Between 11-25 January we invite you to a public consultation of a group of documents with concrete ethical guidance for human genetics and genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics! Want an invitation? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you receive information the minute the documents become available.

Ethical debates about genetic cognitive enhancement: Time to broaden the discussion

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 08:55:00 GMT

SIENNA findings show that attitudes to human enhancement technologies and research on the genetics of human intelligence vary greatly across different economic, cultural, and social landscapes. One potential way to enhance human abilities, including our cognition, is by interfering in IVF processes. So far, the ethics debate has centred on gene editing using the CRISPR technique. However, there is not as much talk of embryo selection as a method for genetic human enhancement. In a recent publication, Marcelo de Araujo emphasises the need fill this gap.

Webinars 17 June: Enhancing legal frameworks

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:21:00 GMT

We need expert and stakeholder input, because regulating new and emerging technologies raises questions that require broad discussion. The SIENNA project would like to invite join our webinars on 17 June 2020 to discuss how to enhance the legal frameworks for human genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics technologies. Depending on your area of interest, you can join one, two or all of them!

COVID-19 and climate change: Why has the response been so different?

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:04:00 GMT

COVID-19 emerging as a global threat has states and civil society to taking radical measures to limit its spread. But, in spite of mounting evidence that climate change will also have devastating consequences for humanity over the next decades, governments and civil society have been far less engaged in adopting effective measures to avert dangerous climate change. Why?

Public online lecture on false messages and false messengers

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:48:00 GMT

Fake news have been around for a long time. As part of a postgraduate course on information ethics and law, SIENNA’s Maria Bottis at the Ionian University is organising a public online lecture with Rafael Capurro starting from his recent paper “Pseudangelia - Pseudangelos: On False Messages and Messengers in Ancient Greece”.

SIENNA legal analysis webinar on 5 March!

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 07:28:00 GMT

The SIENNA project has produced a legal analysis of issues and human rights challenges of artificial intelligence, robotics, human enhancement and human genomics technologies and studies of how they are handled in different jurisdictions. We now invite you to hear a presentation of the results in a webinar on 5 March 2020, at 2PM Central European Time!

SIENNA: plans for 2020

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 09:26:00 GMT

The SIENNA project wishes you happy holidays! In 2020, we will us the data we have collected so far to develop ethical frameworks for Human Genomics, Human Enhancement, AI and Robotics. Our work will also be translated to guidelines for researchers and innovators in industry and academia, protocols and operational guidelines for research ethics committees, recommendations for better legislation, and more!

Presenting our work for the European Commission!

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Today, work package and task leaders from the SIENNA project are in Brussels to present our work to the H2020 project officer and an expert external reviewer. We are looking forward to this opportunity to review what we have done so far, and receiving feedback to improve what we do in the future.

SIENNA at ENERI final conference

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 08:11:00 GMT

The ENERI project is coming to an end. On October 28-29, they will bring together leading ethics experts, researchers, policy makers, representatives from industry, research funding organisations, civil society and other stakeholders to disseminate the concepts and products developed during the three-years term of the project. SIENNA will be represented in a panel with other SwafS RE and RI projects.

Planning for the future!

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:17:00 GMT

Planning for the future and moving the project forward. 24-25 September, we met in Paris to discuss SIENNA impact and sustainability... Have a look below to learn what we talked about!

From data collection and analysis to frameworks and codes

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 05:48:00 GMT

Right now, members of the SIENNA consortium are meeting in Paris to decide how we move from collecting and analysing data to developing ethical frameworks and codes. We will also discuss how to ensure that we deliver outputs that stakeholders in human genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics both want and are able to use.

Call for papers on Ethics by Design: Deadline extended to July 1

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 12:32:00 GMT

The SIENNA and SHERPA projects are issuing a call for papers for a track on ethics by design at the 4TU Ethics Biannual Conference entitled "The Ethics of Disruptive Technologies" at TU/Eindhoven, The Netherlands, on November 7-8, 2019. Deadline for submission has been extended until July 1!

Public opinion surveys and panels complete!

Wed, 08 May 2019 08:56:00 GMT

Besides input from experts, the SIENNA project is committed to include public opinion in our work. The results will inform the ethical evaluation and the development of ethics protocols and codes. On 27 April 2019, we ended our data collection. In all, we have completed telephone surveys with over 11,000 people in 11 countries and citizen panels in 5 countries. Now, the work to analyse the data begins.

Stakeholder and expert input to SIENNA's ethical analysis

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:37:00 GMT

Today and tomorrow, SIENNA consortium members meet experts and stakeholders in Athens to discuss the project's approach to ethical analysis. Participants will discuss methods and approaches to integrate stakeholder perspectives and public opinion in ethical assessments of new technologies.

Call for papers: Ethics and Human Rights in Smart Information Systems

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 11:49:00 GMT

Interested in the ethics and human rights issues in smart information systems? Join the SHERPA, SIENNA. PANELFIT, ORBIT projects and others in the IEEE Smart World Conference forum thisyear! Call for papers closing 26 April 2019.

Season's greetings from SIENNA

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:37:00 GMT

Happy holidays from the SIENNA consortium partners in the Netherlands, China, Germany, Brazil, Poland, Greece, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Sweden, and our associate partners in Japan and the US.

Stakeholder input to SIENNA: Foresight

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:19:00 GMT

In January 2019, SIENNA is organising three foresight workshops to discuss risks, impacts and ethical issues of AI and robotics, human enhancement and genomics with invited stakeholders.

Embedded EthiCS postdoc opportunity at Harvard University

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 11:03:00 GMT

Want to help bring ethical reasoning into the computer science curriculum? Don't miss the embedded EthiCS postdoc opportunity at Harvard University! Apply by January 15.

Collecting stakeholder input on legal aspects of Genomics, Human Enhancement, AI & Robotics

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 09:42:00 GMT

On November 8-9, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights is hosting the second SIENNA stakeholder workshop. This time covering the legal aspects of genomics, human enhancement, AI & Robotics.

Law Disrupted, Law Re-Imagined, Law Re-Invented

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:49:00 GMT

SPEAKER: Roger Brownsword

November 7th
6.30 PM
Warsaw University, Lipowa 4 St.

SIENNA - soon in your langauge!

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 08:37:00 GMT

The SIENNA project has partners from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Right now, we are working to make information about the project available in different languages to help partners communicate about our work.

The SIENNA project in Spanish

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:12:00 GMT

Speak Spanish? SIENNA has developed a video about the project for Spanish audiences. Follow the SIENNA Technology, ethics and human rights channel on YouTube for more videos!

Fostering cooperation and finding synergies

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 09:25:00 GMT

SIENNA's Coordinator Philip Brey and Deputy Coordinator Rowena Rodrigues represented the SIENNA project at the European Cluster Event on ‘Research Ethics and Research Integrity Projects’, organised by the European Commission in Brussels on 1 June 2018.

Brazilian perspectives on ethics and new technology

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 10:11:00 GMT

In December 2017, the quarterly magazine Rio Pesquisa invited two Brazilian SIENNA researchers to talk about their participation in the project. Here, Marcelo de Araujo, Professor of Philosophy of Law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, gives a short English summary.

ETHICS BLOG: Ethics, human rights and responsible innovation

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 12:29:00 GMT

It is difficult to predict the consequences of developing and using new technologies. We interact with smart devices and intelligent software on an almost daily basis. Some of us use prosthetics and implants to go about our business and most of us will likely live to see self-driving cars.

SIENNA: Preparing the ground for responsible innovation

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 08:10:00 GMT

Policy makers all over the world struggle to assess the ethical and human rights impact of new research in genetics and genomics, human enhancement, artificial intelligence and robotics. Researchers from four continents have teamed up in the SIENNA project to help improve existing ethical and legal frameworks. The project receives a financial contribution of just under €4 million from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

SIENNA project kicks off

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 07:14:00 GMT

On October 19-20 this year, the SIENNA project kicks off with a meeting at the University of Twente. Researchers from Europe, Asia, America and Africa come together to discuss the ethical, legal and human rights aspects of Human Enhancement, Human Genomics, AI & Robotics.

European funding for research on ethical and legal aspects of new technologies

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 11:08:00 GMT

In the upcoming decades, technology will change the world. One of the most important questions in this connection is, just how far do we want to go? Over the next three-and-a-half years, University of Twente researchers, together with counterparts from around the world, will be tackling that very question.