Comprehensive Summary
In this conceptual review, de Lecuona and Estévez explore how AI–driven neurotechnologies are transforming healthcare and the accompanying ethical dilemmas. The authors describe how algorithms modeled on neural processes are increasingly embedded in diagnostic and clinical decision-making tools, yet often advance faster than ethical and regulatory discourse. They emphasize that AI’s capacity to process highly sensitive neural and behavioral data introduces new privacy, transparency, and equity risks, particularly when commercial interests outweigh patient welfare. Through examples such as AI-supported stroke scoring systems and predictive models for clinical decision-making, the authors demonstrate both the promise and peril of these systems. They argue that the solution to these problems lies within translational neuroethics, which should serve as a foundational framework for governing AI applications in medicine. This would ensure that technological progress enhances rather than undermines the human–technology relationship.
Outcomes and Implications
This article underscores that maintaining quality of care requires placing human judgment at the center of AI-assisted healthcare. The authors warn that without robust clinical validation and human-centered design, AI tools risk eroding clinician responsibility and patient trust. In fact, emphasis on the troubling nature of so-called “black-box” AI tools in other fields of medicine are an exploding area of research. By contrast, a neuroethical approach grounded in human rights can safeguard autonomy, prevent exploitation of personal data, and promote equitable access to innovation. The paper ultimately calls for interdisciplinary oversight, transparent data governance, and reflective policymaking to ensure that AI in neuroscience and medicine supports human decision making rather than replacing it. If successfully implemented, translational neuroethics could become an essential component of clinical quality assurance and a key safeguard in the next era of AI-integrated healthcare.