Portfolio 5

Portfolio 5: Write a 300-350 word response to the following prompt using the information in “A computer that can ‘read’ your mind” and the “Ethics and mapping the brain”. The two articles describe the positive and negative effects brain mapping could have on society. Imagine you are a researcher (of any topic, brain mapping or otherwise). How would you predict and minimize potential unethical abuses of your work?

If I am the researcher of brain mapping, I will know the best in-depth on the present situation of this issue. Brain mapping, with its considerable amount of pros and cons, is considered to be a ‘double-edged sword’ and it will be a major concern to me if my research is exposed to potential unethical abuses by others. The predicted areas of unethical abuses could be the selection of employees, intrusion of personal privacy and insurance coverage, all based on the result generated from brain mapping devices.
With the introduction of brain-mapping device to society, it may become an unethical issue when comes to the selection of employees. Being realistic and practical, employers may adopt this device to observe their personality and behavior patterns to access whether they are suitable for the job. Despite having qualifications and specialized skills, it is of no guarantee that they will be given the job if the brain scan results differ from the expected. From this, it is said to be unfair and discriminatory to choose employees based on brain-mapping technology.
Another area of concern is the intrusion of personal privacy. It will be a huge disaster to witness people abusing mind-mapping technology to read one’s mind unnecessarily just to track one’s actions and thoughts for their own benefits. Personnel like politicians, high-ranked officials and celebrities are more vulnerable to such treatment as their actions and thoughts may be critical or economically beneficial to others. As a result, there will be an entire loss of freedom and personal privacy as every movement and thought is meticulously monitored by others.
Last but not least, insurance companies may not permit insurance at full coverage to people that may possibly diagnose certain particular diseases/disorders in the near future based on brain-mapping technology. It is labeled to be unethical if the insurance companies adopt this system to avoid huge compensation and losses. On the other hand, this group of people not only suffers from physical impairment, but also incurs a monetary loss in insurance premiums. To resolve this problem, mind-mapping technologies should be prohibited to insurance companies.
To minimize the pre-mentioned unethical abuses, appropriate knowledge and skills on mind-mapping should be imparted to the users, ensuring that they are well-educated and informed before implementing it. Furthermore, government and related authorities should also implement strict rules and regulations to avoid the possibilities of being a menace to society.