Neurotechnology incorporates techniques and devices that monitor and modulate brain and nervous system functions.These technologies are already being used, but their employment could skyrocket in the coming decade.We need to start thinking now about how to ensure children are protected from the risk of neurotechnology but can benefit from the rewards.In the next five to 10 years, neurotechnology - techniques and devices aimed at monitoring and modulating brain and nervous system functions - could become mainstream for some children of the next generation.Convergence with artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology and other technologies is rapidly transforming the field of neurotechnology, influencing everything from health and clinical research to commercially provided applications that claim to improve wellness and cognitive performance.While there are current and potential benefits, unprecedented and unforeseen risks may arise for children using neurotechnologies, including to their normal deve lopment, mental privacy and autonomy. The effects of such technologies - positive and negative alike - will have lifelong impacts. They warrant careful consideration and proactive governance.cHave you read?Could neurotechnology enhance our memories?A glimpse into the future of neuroeconomics and neurotechnologiesMind hunters: how neurotech can solve our brain-health crisisThe benefits of neurotechnologyNeurotechnologies provide significant benefits for enhancing children's health, such as detection, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of brain and nervous system disorders. As the technology continues to develop, their impact is set to be even greater.In the future, neurotechnologies could enable tailored treatments for neurological disorders, with brain-computer interfaces assisting children with severe motor disabilities, for example. Collectively, benefits could also extend to parents and caregivers, leading to positive ripple effects for the children in their care.In wellness management, neurotechnologies could provide early detection for conditions like depression or anxiety, and enable neurofeedback techniques for dealing with stress. In education, they could be coupled with personalized learning algorithms that adapt to each child's unique cognitive patterns.Increasingly, neurotechnology, such as wearable headsets or headbands, is spilling over from the medical domain into the consumer market. Some of these devices, targeting children and youth, claim to enhance concentration or learning. These products are often classified as electronic rather than medical devices, and not all of them undergo the necessary scrutiny to ensure the safety of children.The risks of neurotechnologyEven given the benefits seen in the medical field today, using neurotechnology with children presents risks and uncertainties. These include a limited understanding of impacts on children due to significantly fewer studies conducted with children compared to adults, and a lack of long-term reviews on how neurost imulation impacts children's health over time. Looking ahead, the risk potential is significant.Neurotechnology, when paired with other data-capture tools like wearables, raise concerns about potential interference with the physical and mental development of children. Neural surveillance technologies - employed by a range of actors from states and police forces, to marketing and insurance companies and even potentially cybercriminals - could infer insights into children's mental states, predict and influence their health and behaviors and be mis-used to exploit or manipulate their cognitive and sensory experiences.In this digital landscape, including within immersive environments, neurotechnologies could create new methods for understanding and influencing what drives the next generation to click, buy, love and hate. Several child rights are at risk of violation, including the right to privacy; freedom of thought, conscience, religion and access to diverse sources of information.Source: World Economic Forum
Monday, May 18, 2026