Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,

What you see in my back, it is not the painting of a contemporary painter, it is the high-definition image of the part of a human brain. The sense of the connection between this backdrop and my address will manifest itself.  

As the editor of the book Inspiring Tianjin, I am delighted to witness Tianjin’s accomplishments. The World Intelligence Congress is one of the city’s realizations having a positive impact across China and beyond.

Tragic wars for some, economic hardships for many, and daunting environmental challenges for all; we know that our world faces many crises. However, I have come to tell you that I believe in progress.

At the time of Confucius, world’s population was around 100 million. It will reach 8 billion soon. Paleontologist Yves Coppens is right to invite us to reflect upon the significance of human species’ success.

The increase of life expectancy is also revealing. In Switzerland, one can expect to live 83 years. There are inequalities between countries and within countries in relation with this key indicator. But, estimates suggest that in pre-modern medicine world the life expectancy for us, human beings, was 30.

In parallel, research shows that while only 12% of the world population could read and write at the beginning of the 19th century, today 14% of mankind is illiterate. Of course, even if such a change is a positive transformation, it is still unsatisfactory. As stated by the fourth of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the necessity to provide “quality education” for all remains a priority.

A highly stimulating finding that is less often presented is the Flynn effect, from the name of intelligence researcher James Flynn (1934-2020). It states the continued year-after-year increase of IQ scores throughout the world.

Let me mention a last example to illustrate progressive evolution. Drug research can take years from idea to reality. The first vaccines to combat COVID-19 were developed, tested and given emergency use authorization in 11 months.

I wish to point at four determinants of progress. First, it depends on our capacity to design good governance systems. Second, progress depends on our capacity to produce and disseminate knowledge. It explains the importance of education, from literacy to the most demanding academic research. Third, our ability to maintain peace among nations conditions also mankind’s advancement. Fourth, it is evident that there would not be any consequential progress without scientific discovery and technological innovation.

At the World Intelligence Congress, you are concerned with AI. Data, algorithms to identify meanings and patterns, broadband cellular networks for faster communication, certainly constitute a key triangle of our contemporary reality.

However, allow me to zoom on neurotechnology since I consider the intersection between computing and neuroscience of the highest importance.

The human brain is the most complex reality in our universe. Molecular biologist and neuroscientist Francis Crick (1916-2004), who contributed to our understanding of the helical structure of the DNA molecule, put it simply: “There is no scientific study more vital to man than the study of his own brain. Our entire view of the universe depends on it.”

Since the work of the 1906 Nobel Prize in Medicine Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852-1934), pioneer of modern neuroscience, enormous improvement has been made in the scientific study of the nervous system. The US “Decade of the Brain” (1990-2000), followed by the BRAIN Initiative, contributed greatly to its understanding. Note that in BRAIN Initiative, BRAIN stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies. Inspired by the Human Genome Project, BRAIN gathers DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity), universities, private companies, and organizations in Australia, Canada, and Denmark.

In 2016, the Chinese National People’s Congress has approved the China Brain Project supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Institute for Brain Research. Three years earlier, the European Union had launched its own Human Brain Project.  

 But, there are still many unknowns regarding the 86 billion neurons, each of them having 15 000 connections. An emergent phenomenon, meaning that more complex functions emerge from the interaction between the neurons, one still has to elucidate how consciousness relates to the central organ of the human nervous system.

The private sector supported by visionary financiers is already looking at ways electronics can interface with the nervous system to monitor or impact neural activities. This is the neurotechnology I am concerned with. Neuralink Corporation that develops implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) is a good example of such activities. Launched in 2016 and co-founded by Elon Musk, Neuralink has developed an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) aiming to convert information obtained from neurons.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the neurotech startup Synchron the approval to test its neural implant in human paralysis patients.

Such advancements in neurotechnology will help to tackle neurological disorders. It will also augment for others cognitive abilities. However, one should already take into account the warnings of neurobiologist and chair of the NeuroRights Foundation, Rafael Yuste. We have to make sure that our mental privacy is protected, so that mental activity is not decoded without our consent.

The Chilean Senate has approved a constitutional amendment that declares cerebral integrity as a basic human right. It is a change that corresponds to the magnitude of the challenge questioning the essence of our individual identity.

By adopting in 2019 the Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was also moving into the right direction.  

Dear friends, neurotechnology is not mere science fiction. While we have to continue the research on the human brain, and look at applications to cure diseases and improve quality of life, one needs to raise the awareness on its potential negative effects.

I hope that while the World Intelligence Congress fosters technological innovations, it can also be a forum to discuss the ethical dimensions of science and technology.

I am also convinced that the most appropriate platform to debate and regulate on such a complex problem is the United Nations.

I have mentioned above four determinants of progress. For progress to be truly sustainable, for human dignity to be safeguarded, for our consciousness not to be hacked by malevolent forces, one has to add a fifth factor: human wisdom.

I thank you for your kind attention.