ETH News

Science often runs ahead of legislation ¨C and this is now also true for research on embryo-like cell aggregates from human stem cells. Bioethicist Alessandro Blasimme of ETH Zurich explains why this controversial topic calls for legal clarity.

Ethicist Peter G. Kirchschlaeger highlights how artificial intelligence can be regulated worldwide ¨C and is pleased to have the support of leading international figures.

Scientists have a duty to initiate a dialogue with the public on cellular engineering, says Daniel M¨¹ller. The discussion must be held now ¨C before complex engineered cellular systems are ready for widespread use in humans.

A presumed consent system for organ donation, which is to be put to the vote in Switzerland, would likely increase the organ donation rate, writes bioethicist Agata Ferretti. In her view, however, there is an even better solution: the obligation to decide.

Technologies that interfere with our brains have great potential. But their ethical implications are such that they may require an expansion of human rights frameworks, argues Marcello Ienca.

In recent years, there have been several incidents of hacked databases, and the hackers published the stolen data on the internet. Are scientists allowed to use such data for their research? ETH Zurich bioethicists Marcello Ienca and Professor Effy Vayena have addressed this question in a paper published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. ETH News spoke with Ienca.