neurotechnology

Any technology that records, reads or changes activity in the brain or nervous system. It ranges from medical devices such as cochlear implants, deep brain stimulators and EEG, to consumer headbands that measure brain waves, to brain–computer interfaces that let a person control a computer with brain signals alone.

Because brain activity can reveal health, mood and intention, international bodies have set standards for its use: the OECD in 2019, and UNESCO, whose member states adopted the first global standard on the ethics of neurotechnology in November 2025. Several US states now protect neural data in privacy law.

Related terms: brain–computer interface, neural interface, neural decoding, neuroethics, neural privacy

Sources: UNESCO adopts first global framework on neurotechnology ethics — UNESCO UK