Neurotechnological applications could see a significant surge over the next decade, potentially having a major impact on children.

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Eleonore Pauwels

Steven Vosloo

These technologies are already in use, and their adoption is likely to increase significantly over the next decade.
We now need to start thinking about how to ensure children benefit from neurotechnology while minimizing the risks.

Neurotechnology refers to the technologies and devices used to monitor and modulate brain and nervous system functions. In the next five to ten years, neurotechnology could significantly impact some members of the next generation of children.

The integration with artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology, and other cutting-edge fields is rapidly transforming the neurotechnology landscape, impacting everything from healthcare and clinical research to commercial applications that claim to enhance health and cognitive performance.

While the current and potential benefits of neurotechnology are clear, children using this technology may also face unprecedented and unpredictable risks—ranging from impacts on normal development to threats to psychological privacy and autonomy. Given that both the positive and negative effects of neurotechnology can have lifelong consequences, careful consideration and proactive governance are essential.

The benefits of neurotechnology

Neurotechnology offers significant benefits for improving children's health, including the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of brain and nervous system disorders. As the technology continues to advance, its impact will only grow even broader.

In the future, neurotechnology could enable personalized treatments for neurological disorders, such as brain-computer interfaces that help children with severe motor disabilities. The benefits of neurotechnology may also extend to parents and caregivers, creating a positive ripple effect for the children they care for.

In health management, neurotechnology could aid in the early detection of conditions like depression or anxiety disorders, while also helping to alleviate stress through neurofeedback techniques. In the education sector, neurotechnology can be integrated with personalized learning algorithms to cater to each child’s unique cognitive patterns.

Neurotechnology—such as wearable headsets or headbands—is increasingly expanding from the medical field into the consumer market. Some of these devices, particularly those aimed at children and teenagers, claim to enhance focus or improve learning abilities. While these products are typically categorized as electronic devices rather than medical tools, not all have undergone the necessary scrutiny to ensure they’re safe for children.

The risks of neurotechnology

Currently, neurotechnology has brought numerous benefits to the medical field, but its use in children still carries risks and uncertainties. Research specifically targeting children remains significantly limited compared to studies on adults, and there is a notable lack of long-term, retrospective studies examining the health effects of neural stimulation in children. As a result, our understanding of its impact on children remains extremely limited—yet the potential risks in the future could be substantial.

The integration of neurotechnology with other data-capture tools, such as wearable devices, has raised concerns about potential disruptions to children’s physical and mental development. Nations, law enforcement agencies, marketers, insurance companies, and even cybercriminals could potentially leverage neuro-monitoring technologies to infer children’s psychological states, anticipate and influence their health and behavior—risks that extend to the misuse of these tools for exploiting or manipulating children’s cognitive and sensory experiences.

In the digital environment, particularly in immersive settings, neurotechnology could pave the way for innovative approaches to understand and influence the motivations driving the next generation—whether they’re clicking, purchasing, falling in love, or even harboring strong feelings of hate. Meanwhile, several children’s rights are at risk of being violated, including their right to privacy, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as their right to access information from diverse sources.

Children require special attention.

The childhood stage is critical for brain development and identity formation, making interventions particularly risky. Children’s understanding of neurotechnologies—and their ability to provide meaningful, informed consent—evolve significantly with age, developmental stage, and individual capabilities. As a result, the level of protection children receive can vary widely. Even when parents act with good intentions, introducing their children to technology in hopes of giving them an edge in school or life, they may inadvertently expose kids to risks or undermine their rights.

To ensure children benefit from neurotechnology while minimizing risks, several critical measures must be put in place. These include equitable access to proven neurotechnologies, robust governance mechanisms—such as comprehensive data and privacy frameworks—along with the rule of law, respect for human rights and children’s rights, and, most importantly, guaranteeing that informed consent is obtained directly from children themselves or their families/guardians. To empower children to provide informed consent, we need to deepen our understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with neurotechnology.

Building a bright future for neurotechnology

The future of neurotechnology is both promising and challenging. We urgently need to take action, staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field to ensure that the technology is developed safely—and that children can use it without risk. Initial steps to protect children include: gathering input from all relevant stakeholders, advancing child-centered neuroethics; conducting policy and regulatory analyses to identify potential gaps in safeguarding children’s rights within the realm of neurotechnology; responsibly incorporating children’s perspectives into both technological design and policymaking; and proactively anticipating the field’s future developments, providing critical insights for forward-thinking governance strategies. Additionally, it is essential to thoroughly examine both the positive and negative impacts of neurotechnology on children.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this on WeChat Moments; please leave a comment below the post if you’d like to republish.

Translated by: Di Chenjing | Edited by: Wang Can

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