Neuroethics is the study of the ethical, legal, social and cultural implications of the development and use of neuroscience and neurotechnology, as well as the neurobiological basis of human ethical standards and individual moral values. Neuroethics is a highly interdisciplinary field.  The development of neuroethics is mainly carried out in a group of countries in the northern globe that have national brain projects (members of the International Brain Initiative (IBI). However, the specific implications and concerns in the cultures and contexts of countries with little or no production of major neuroscientific, neurotechnological and AI breakthroughs are underrepresented in international discourse. These countries, contexts, and cultures represent 68% of the world’s population, so a significant percentage of perspectives and attitudes regarding the development and use of neuroscience, neurotechnology, and AI and their potential impact on “what it means to be human” remain unknown. This knowledge gap may have ethical, safety, human rights, effectiveness and validity implications in the development and use of neuroscience, neurotechnology and AI at local, regional and global levels; hence the importance of developing neuroethics in other countries and regions such as Iberoamerica.

Furthermore, in Ibero-America there is little knowledge and awareness of the ethical, legal, economic, social and cultural concerns about the development and use of emerging technologies related to the brain and mind, due to the limited availability and accessibility of academic literature, as well as relevant forums in Spanish and/or Portuguese on these issues.

As a result, AMNE offers forums for dissemination, education, discussion and analysis, through various activities such as academic sessions, continuing education courses, publications and consultancies on neuroscientific, neurotechnological and AI topics at local, regional and global levels.