What is Unesco doing to regulate the neurotech industry?

Unesco has adopted a set of global standards to govern the ethical use of neurotechnology, which is rapidly evolving due to AI advances and the proliferation of consumer brain-reading devices.

Why is the neurotech industry considered a "wild west"?

The neurotech industry has seen a surge of investment and development, with little regulation in place to govern the use of these powerful technologies that can decode brain data and potentially influence human behavior.

Home / Technology / Unesco Adopts Global Standards to Govern Surging Neurotech Industry

Unesco Adopts Global Standards to Govern Surging Neurotech Industry

10 Nov

•

Summary

Unesco sets new global standards for ethical use of neurotechnology
Driven by AI advances and proliferation of consumer brain-reading devices
Standards aim to protect "mental privacy" and "freedom of thought"

Unesco Adopts Global Standards to Govern Surging Neurotech Industry

In November 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has adopted a set of global standards on the ethics of neurotechnology, a rapidly evolving field that has been described as "a bit of a wild west".

The new standards are a response to two key developments in the industry: the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that can decode vast amounts of brain data, and the proliferation of consumer-oriented neurotech devices like earbuds and smart glasses that can track brain activity and eye movements.

Unesco's chief of bioethics, Dafna Feinholz, emphasized the need to "inform the people about the risks, the potential benefits, and the alternatives" of these technologies, so that individuals can make informed choices. The standards define a new category of "neural data" and provide guidelines for its protection, addressing concerns around "mental privacy" and "freedom of thought".