On agency， sense of agency， and the problem of “responsibility gaps” in brain-computer interaction
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2025.09.09
- VernacularTitle:论脑机交互的能动性、能动感与“责任割裂”问题
- Author:
Guangming LIU
1
Author Information
1. School of Marxism， Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics， Hangzhou 310018， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
brain-computer interface;
moral responsibility;
agency;
sense of agency;
responsibility gap
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2025;38(9):1157-1163
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Brain-computer interface （BCI） has replaced the body as an important “channel” connecting the brain and the external world. First， “brain-computer interaction activities” differ from general human activities. They are activities jointly implemented by humans with a high-level agency and BCI with a low-level agency. Even if “brain-computer interaction activities” do not meet the requirements of the classical philosophy of action， they may still become “generalized artificial actions.” Second， BCI has altered the coherence of human activity based on “brain-body interaction，” which leads to human users holding different levels of sense of agency， and results in the situation of brain-computer interaction being divided into “online state” and “offline state.” Third， humans in an “online state” are aware of subsequent activities and moral harm， and they are the subject of accountability. Humans in an “offline state” may not necessarily be aware of subsequent activities and are not the main subject of accountability. Therefore， the definition of the attributes of brain-computer interaction activities and the analysis of the sense of agency provide a new entry point for solving the problem of “responsibility gaps” and ethical analysis of brain-computer interaction.
