When technology can read minds, how will we protect our privacy? | Nita Farahany

Translator: Nikolaj Johansen Reviewer: Anders Finn Jørgensen

In the months following the 2009 presidential election in Iran,

I månederne efter Irans præsidentvalg i 2009

protests erupted across the country.

udbrød der protester landet over.

The Iranian government violently suppressed

Den iranske regering undertrykte med vold

what came to be known as the Iranian Green Movement,

det, der blev kendt som Den Grønne Bevægelse.

even blocking mobile signals

De blokerede endda mobilsignaler

to cut off communication between the protesters.

for at forhindre demonstranterne i at kommunikere.

My parents, who emigrated to the United States in the late 1960s,

Mine forældre, som emigrerede til USA sidst i 60'erne,

tilbragte lang tid der,

spend substantial time there,

where all of my large, extended family live.

hvor hele min store, udvidede familie bor.

When I would call my family in Tehran

Når jeg ringede til min familie i Teheran

during some of the most violent crackdowns of the protest,

under de mest brutale overgreb på demonstranterne,

none of them dared discuss with me what was happening.

turde ingen af dem diskutere begivenhederne med mig.

They or I knew to quickly steer the conversation to other topics.

Vi skiftede hurtigt emne i vores samtaler.

All of us understood what the consequences could be

Vi forstod alle, hvad konsekvenserne kunne være

of a perceived dissident action.

af anklagen om systemkritik.

But I still wish I could have known what they were thinking

Men jeg ønsker stadig, jeg kunne vide, hvad de tænkte,

or what they were feeling.

eller hvad de følte.

What if I could have?

Hvad hvis jeg kunne det?

Or more frighteningly,

Eller endnu mere skræmmende,

what if the Iranian government could have?

hvad hvis den iranske regering kunne?

Would they have arrested them based on what their brains revealed?

Ville de have arresteret dem på grund af deres tanker?

That day may be closer than you think.

Den dag er måske nærmere, end man tror.

With our growing capabilities in neuroscience, artificial intelligence

Med fremgangen i neuroforskning, kunstig intelligens

and machine learning,

og maskinlæring,

we may soon know a lot more of what's happening in the human brain.

vil vi snart vide mere om, hvad der sker i vores hjerner.

As a bioethicist, a lawyer, a philosopher

Som bioetiker, advokat, filosof

and an Iranian-American,

og iransk-amerikaner

I'm deeply concerned about what this means for our freedoms

er jeg dybt bekymret for, hvad det betyder for vores frihed,

and what kinds of protections we need.

og hvilken beskyttelse, vi har brug for.

I believe we need a right to cognitive liberty,

Jeg mener, vi har ret til kognitiv frihed

as a human right that needs to be protected.

som en menneskerettighed, der skal beskyttes.

If not, our freedom of thought,

Hvis ikke, vil vores tankefrihed,

access and control over our own brains

adgang og kontrol over vores egne hjerner

and our mental privacy will be threatened.

og vores mentale privatliv komme under pres.

Consider this:

Overvej dette:

the average person thinks thousands of thoughts each day.

I gennemsnit tænker man tusindvis af tanker hver dag.

As a thought takes form,

Ved hver en tanke,

like a math calculation or a number, a word,

som et regnestykke, et tal eller et ord,

neurons are interacting in the brain,

interagerer neuroner i hjernen

creating a miniscule electrical discharge.

og skaber en lille, elektrisk udladning.

When you have a dominant mental state, like relaxation,

Når hjernen er optaget af en ting, for eksempel afslapning,

hundreds and thousands of neurons are firing in the brain,

er tusindvis af neuroner aktive i hjernen

creating concurrent electrical discharges in characteristic patterns

og skaber elektriske udladninger i karakteristiske mønstre,

that can be measured with electroencephalography, or EEG.

der kan måles med elektroencefalografi, eller EEG.

In fact, that's what you're seeing right now.

Det er faktisk det, I ser lige her.

You're seeing my brain activity that was recorded in real time

I ser min hjerneaktivitet, der blev registreret i realtid.

with a simple device that was worn on my head.

med et simpelt apparat, jeg havde på hovedet.

What you're seeing is my brain activity when I was relaxed and curious.

Her er min hjerneaktivitet, mens jeg var afslappet og nysgerrig.

To share this information with you,

For at dele dette med jer,

I wore one of the early consumer-based EEG devices

brugte jeg et nyt, lettilgængeligt EEG-apparat

like this one,

som det her,

which recorded the electrical activity in my brain in real time.

der registrerede min hjerneaktivitet i realtid.

It's not unlike the fitness trackers that some of you may be wearing

Det er ligesom de fitnesstrackere, nogle af jer måske bruger

to measure your heart rate or the steps that you've taken,

til at måle jeres puls eller jeres skridt

or even your sleep activity.

eller endda jeres søvnmønster.

Det er ikke den mest sofistikerede hjerneskannings-teknologi.

It's hardly the most sophisticated neuroimaging technique on the market.

But it's already the most portable

Men det er allerede den mest bærbare,

and the most likely to impact our everyday lives.

som nok vil få stor indflydelse på vores hverdag.

This is extraordinary.

Det er utroligt.

Through a simple, wearable device,

Med et simpelt, bærbart apparat

we can literally see inside the human brain

kan vi bogstaveligt talt se ind i vores hjerner

and learn aspects of our mental landscape without ever uttering a word.

og aflæse vores mentale landskab uden at sige et eneste ord.

While we can't reliably decode complex thoughts just yet,

Selvom vi ikke kan aflæse komplekse tanker endnu,

we can already gauge a person's mood,

kan vi allerede vurdere en persons humør,

and with the help of artificial intelligence,

og med hjælp fra kunstig intelligens

we can even decode some single-digit numbers

kan vi endda afkode enkelte cifre,

or shapes or simple words that a person is thinking

former eller simple ord, som en person tænker,

or hearing, or seeing.

hører eller ser.

Despite some inherent limitations in EEG,

Trods nogle indbyggede begrænsninger i EEG,

I think it's safe to say that with our advances in technology,

kan man roligt sige, at med vores teknologiske fremskridt

more and more of what's happening in the human brain

vil mere og mere af, hvad der sker i vores hjerner,

can and will be decoded over time.

blive afkodet med tiden.

Already, using one of these devices,

Med sådan et apparat,

an epileptic can know they're going to have an epileptic seizure

kan en epileptiker allerede vide, hvornår de vil få et anfald,

before it happens.

før det sker.

A paraplegic can type on a computer with their thoughts alone.

Personer med lammelse kan skrive på computer med tankerne.

A US-based company has developed a technology to embed these sensors

Et amerikansk firma har udviklet teknologien

til at indbygge disse sensorer i nakkestøtten i biler,

into the headrest of automobilies

so they can track driver concentration,

så de kan registrere førerens koncentration,

distraction and cognitive load while driving.

distraktion og kognitive belastning, under kørslen.

Nissan, insurance companies and AAA have all taken note.

Nissan, forsikringsselskaber og AAA følger udviklingen.

You could even watch this choose-your-own-adventure movie

Man kan endda se en film, hvor man selv vælger handlingen,

"The Moment," which, with an EEG headset,

"The Moment," som med et EEG-headset

changes the movie based on your brain-based reactions,

ændrer filmen baseret på din hjernes reaktioner

giving you a different ending every time your attention wanes.

og giver dig en ny slutning, hver gang du bliver distraheret.

This may all sound great,

Det lyder måske fantastisk,

and as a bioethicist,

og som bioetiker

I am a huge proponent of empowering people

er jeg en stor fortaler for at hjælpe mennesker

to take charge of their own health and well-being

med at få kontrol over deres sundhed og velvære

by giving them access to information about themselves,

ved at give dem adgang til informationer om sig selv

including this incredible new brain-decoding technology.

med denne utrolige, nye, hjerne-aflæsende teknologi.

But I worry.

Men jeg er bange.

I worry that we will voluntarily or involuntarily give up

Jeg er bange for, at vi, frivilligt eller ej, vil opgive

our last bastion of freedom, our mental privacy.

vores sidste bastion af frihed, vores mentale privatliv.

That we will trade our brain activity

At vi vil give vores hjerneaktivitet

for rebates or discounts on insurance,

mod at få rabat på forsikringen

or free access to social-media accounts ...

eller gratis adgang til sociale medier ...

or even to keep our jobs.

eller endda beholde vores jobs.

In fact, in China,

I Kina

the train drivers on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail,

skal togførerne på Beijing-Shanghai-ruten,

the busiest of its kind in the world,

den travleste af sin slags i verden,

are required to wear EEG devices

bære EEG-apparater,

der registrerer deres hjerneaktivitet, under kørslen.

to monitor their brain activity while driving.

According to some news sources,

Ifølge nogle nyhedskilder

in government-run factories in China,

skal arbejderne i Kinas statskontrollerede fabrikker

the workers are required to wear EEG sensors to monitor their productivity

bære EEG-sensorer, der overvåger deres produktivitet

and their emotional state at work.

og sindstilstand på arbejdet.

Workers are even sent home

Arbejdere bliver endda sendt hjem,

if their brains show less-than-stellar concentration on their jobs,

hvis deres hjerner viser dårlig koncentration på jobbet

or emotional agitation.

Eller følelsesmæssig uro.

It's not going to happen tomorrow,

Det vil ikke ske i morgen,

but we're headed to a world of brain transparency.

men vi er på vej mod en verden, hvor hjernen kan aflæses.

And I don't think people understand that that could change everything.

Jeg tror ikke, folk forstår, at det kan ændre alting.

Everything from our definitions of data privacy to our laws,

Lige fra definitionen af datasikkerhed til vores love,

to our ideas about freedom.

til vores forestillinger om frihed.

In fact, in my lab at Duke University,

På mit laboratorium på Duke University

we recently conducted a nationwide study in the United States

udførte vi for nylig et landsdækkende studie i USA

to see if people appreciated

for at se, om folk værdsatte

følsomheden af deres hjerneinformationer.

the sensitivity of their brain information.

We asked people to rate their perceived sensitivity

Vi bad folk vudere deres opfattelse af følsomheden

of 33 different kinds of information,

af 33 forskellige slags informationer,

from their social security numbers

fra deres personnumre

to the content of their phone conversations,

til indholdet af deres mobilsamtaler,

their relationship history,

deres tidligere parforhold,

their emotions, their anxiety,

deres følelser, deres bekymringer,

the mental images in their mind

deres mentale billeder

og deres tanker.

and the thoughts in their mind.

Shockingly, people rated their social security number as far more sensitive

Overraskende var folk mere følsomme over for deres personnumre

than any other kind of information,

end noget som helst andet,

including their brain data.

inklusive deres hjernedata.

Jeg tror, det skyldes, at folk endnu ikke forstår

I think this is because people don't yet understand

or believe the implications of this new brain-decoding technology.

eller tror på konsekvenserne af den nye hjerneteknologi.

After all, if we can know the inner workings of the human brain,

For hvis vi kan læse et menneskes inderste tanker,

our social security numbers are the least of our worries.

så er vores personnumre vores mindste bekymring.

(Laughter)

(Latter)

Think about it.

Tænk over det.

In a world of total brain transparency,

I en verden, hvor hjerner kan aflæses,

who would dare have a politically dissident thought?

hvem ville så vove at tænke systemkritisk?

Or a creative one?

Eller kreativt?

I worry that people will self-censor

Jeg er bange for, at folk vil censurere sig selv

af frygt for at blive udstødt af samfundet,

in fear of being ostracized by society,

or that people will lose their jobs because of their waning attention

eller at folk vil miste jeres job på grund af dårlig koncentration

or emotional instability,

eller følelsesmæssig ustabilitet.

or because they're contemplating collective action against their employers.

Eller for at overveje at organisere sig på arbejdspladsen.

That coming out will no longer be an option,

At det ikke længere vil være mulig at springe ud,

because people's brains will long ago have revealed their sexual orientation,

fordi folks hjerner for længst vil have afsløret deres seksualitet,

their political ideology

deres politiske ideologi

or their religious preferences,

eller deres religiøse overbevisning,

well before they were ready to consciously share that information

længe før de var klar til at dele de oplysninger

with other people.

med andre mennesker

I worry about the ability of our laws to keep up with technological change.

Jeg er bange for, at vores love ikke kan holde trit med teknologien.

Take the First Amendment of the US Constitution,

Tag det første tillæg til USA's forfatning,

which protects freedom of speech.

der beskytter ytringsfriheden.

Does it also protect freedom of thought?

Beskytter den også tankefrihed?

And if so, does that mean that we're free to alter our thoughts however we want?

Og betyder det i så fald, at vi må tænke, hvad vi vil?

Or can the government or society tell us what we can do with our own brains?

Eller må staten og samfundet bestemme, hvad vi må med vores egne hjerner?

Can the NSA spy on our brains using these new mobile devices?

Må NSA overvåge vores hjerner med de ny bærbare enheder?

Må firmaer, der indsamler de data gennem deres apps,

Can the companies that collect the brain data through their applications

sell this information to third parties?

sælge informationerne til tredjeparter?

Right now, no laws prevent them from doing so.

Det er der ingen love imod lige nu.

Det kunne være endnu mere problematisk

It could be even more problematic

in countries that don't share the same freedoms

i lande, der ikke har de samme friheder

enjoyed by people in the United States.

som her i USA.

What would've happened during the Iranian Green Movement

Hvad ville der være sket under Irans Grønne Bevægelse,

if the government had been monitoring my family's brain activity,

hvis regeringen havde overvåget min families hjerneaktivitet

and had believed them to be sympathetic to the protesters?

og vurderet, at de stod på demonstranternes side?

Er det så langt ude at forestille sig et samfund,

Is it so far-fetched to imagine a society

in which people are arrested based on their thoughts

hvor folk bliver arresteret på grund af deres tanker

om at begå en forbrydelse,

of committing a crime,

like in the science-fiction dystopian society in "Minority Report."

ligesom det dystopiske samfund i sci fi-filmen "Minority Report",

Already, in the United States, in Indiana,

I Indiana i USA

an 18-year-old was charged with attempting to intimidate his school

blev en 18-årig tiltalt for at forsøge at true sin skole

by posting a video of himself shooting people in the hallways ...

ved at uploade en video, hvor han skød folk på gangene.

Except the people were zombies

Bortset fra, at folkene var zombier,

and the video was of him playing an augmented-reality video game,

og i videoen spillede han et computerspil,

all interpreted to be a mental projection of his subjective intent.

der blev fortolket som en projektion af hans subjektive hensigter.

This is exactly why our brains need special protection.

Derfor har vores hjerner brug for særlig beskyttelse.

If our brains are just as subject to data tracking and aggregation

Hvis vores hjerner udsættes for overvågning og dataindsamling

as our financial records and transactions,

ligesom vores økonomiske transaktioner,

if our brains can be hacked and tracked like our online activities,

hvis vores hjerner kan hackes og overvåges ligesom vores aktiviteter

our mobile phones and applications,

på nettet, mobilen og apps,

then we're on the brink of a dangerous threat to our collective humanity.

står vi over for en farlig trussel mod hele menneskeheden.

Before you panic,

Nu må I ikke gå i panik.

Jeg tror, der findes løsninger på disse problemer,

I believe that there are solutions to these concerns,

but we have to start by focusing on the right things.

men vi må begynde med at fokusere på det rigtige.

When it comes to privacy protections in general,

Når det kommer til beskyttelse af privatlivet,

I think we're fighting a losing battle

så kæmper vi forgæves,

by trying to restrict the flow of information.

når vi forsøger at begrænse strømmen af information.

Instead, we should be focusing on securing rights and remedies

I stedet bør vi fokusere på at sikre rettigheder og sanktioner

against the misuse of our information.

for at misbruge vores oplysninger.

If people had the right to decide how their information was shared,

Hvis folk havde ret til at vælge, hvordan deres oplysninger blev delt,

and more importantly, have legal redress

og vigtigere endnu, havde juraen på deres side,

if their information was misused against them,

hvis deres oplysninger blev misbrugt

say to discriminate against them in an employment setting

til at diskriminere på arbejdspladsen

or in health care or education,

eller i sundhedssystemet eller skolen,

this would go a long way to build trust.

ville det skabe grobund for tillid.

In fact, in some instances,

I nogle tilfælde

we want to be sharing more of our personal information.

vil vi gerne dele flere personlige oplysninger

Studying aggregated information can tell us so much

Ved at studere store mængder data kan vi lære så meget

about our health and our well-being,

om vores sundhed og velvære,

but to be able to safely share our information,

men for sikkert at kunne dele vores oplysninger

we need special protections for mental privacy.

har vi brug for særlig beskyttelse af vores mentale privatliv.

This is why we need a right to cognitive liberty.

Derfor har vi brug for en ret til kognitiv frihed.

This right would secure for us our freedom of thought and rumination,

Det ville sikre, vores tankefrihed,

our freedom of self-determination,

vores ret til selvbestemmelse,

and it would insure that we have the right to consent to or refuse

og det ville sikre, at vi selv ville kunne bestemme,

access and alteration of our brains by others.

om andre kunne få adgang til vores hjerner.

This right could be recognized

Den rettighed kunne anderkendes

as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

som del af de universelle menneskerettigheder,

which has established mechanisms

der har etableret systemer

for the enforcement of these kinds of social rights.

til at håndhæve den slags sociale rettigheder.

During the Iranian Green Movement,

Under Irans Grønne Bevægelse

the protesters used the internet and good old-fashioned word of mouth

kommunikerede demonstranterne via internettet og fra mund til mund,

to coordinate their marches.

når de planlagde deres protester.

And some of the most oppressive restrictions in Iran

Og nogle af de mest undertrykkende love i Iran

blev ophævet på grund af det.

were lifted as a result.

Men hvad hvis Irans regering havde brugt hjerneovervågning

But what if the Iranian government had used brain surveillance

to detect and prevent the protest?

til at opdage og forhindre protesterne?

Would the world have ever heard the protesters' cries?

Ville verden nogensinde have hørt demonstranternes råb?

The time has come for us to call for a cognitive liberty revolution.

Det er på tide, at vi kræver en kognitiv frihedsrevolution.

To make sure that we responsibly advance technology

At vi udvikler teknologien på en ansvarlig måde,

that could enable us to embrace the future

så vi kan omfavne fremtiden

while fiercely protecting all of us from any person, company or government

og samtidig beskytte os alle mod mennesker, firmaer eller stater,

that attempts to unlawfully access or alter our innermost lives.

der uretmæssigt forsøger at blande sig i vores inderste indre.

Thank you.

Tak.

(Applause)

(Klapsalver)