The era of brain surveillance has begun. Advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence are converging to give us an affordable and soon-to-be widely available generation of consumer neurotech devices—a catchall term for gadgets that, with the help of dry electrodes, connect human brains to computers and the ever-more-sophisticated algorithms that analyze the brain-wave data.
Neurotech at Work
Welcome to the world of brain monitoring for employees.
From the Magazine (March–April 2023)
· Long read
Summary.
The era of brain surveillance has begun. Although neuroscientists wrote off earlier iterations of neurotech devices as little better than toys, both the hardware and the software have improved dramatically, and neurotechnology has become more accurate and harder to dismiss. Today, the global market for neurotech is growing at a compound annual rate of 12% and is expected to reach $21 billion by 2026. This is not a fad. It’s a new way of living and thinking about ourselves and our well-being—personally and professionally.
In this article, the author provides an overview of the neurotechnology landscape and offers guidance on how companies should balance the risks and benefits of using neurotech devices in the workplace.
A version of this article appeared in the March–April 2023 issue of Harvard Business Review.
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