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Scientists have been growing “mini-brains” or brain organoids in labs for some time now. Those who do it claim to be doing so for altruistic and scientific purposes. However, other scientists are concerned that at some point they will grow full human brains in a lab that can become conscious and feel pain, and that is not okay.
The problem is that the scientists that have been growing these mini-brains have either assumed that they lack consciousness or just aren’t concerned about it. This issue was recently addressed in a research paper published in the journal Patterns.
The scientists creating these human brain organoids (HBOs) are often doing so a way of studying how the brain develops, as well as possible treatments of diseases. Others are using these mini-brains to create biocomputers that use far less energy than traditional computers.
“Strong dismissive claims regarding HBO consciousness, such as assertions claiming that there is ‘no possibility’ of its imminent occurrence, rendering its concept ‘biologically unfounded’ over the near future, or suggesting that there is no evidence that it will ever become possible, appear, at the very least, speculative and overconfident,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
They added that “categorical dismissal of HBO consciousness appears not only premature but internally inconsistent with the field’s own evidence and admissions of uncertainty and progress.”
The researchers are calling for revised regulations regarding the use of brain organoids. Unfortunately, how one measures “consciousness” is another subject up for debate.
In 2019, mini-brains created from stem cells developed spontaneous brain waves, similar to those seen in premature babies. In 2021, mini brains grown from stem cells spontaneously developed rudimentary eye structures.
Currently, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) states that “mini-brains” are unable to perceive pain.
“At this time, there is no biological evidence to suggest any issues of concern, such as consciousness or pain perception with organoids corresponding to CNS tissues, that would warrant review through the specialized oversight process,” ISSCR writes. “However, researchers should be aware of any ethical issues that may arise in the future as organoid models become more complex through long-term maturation or through the assembly of multiple organoids.”
The researchers warn that with further developments in this field, eventually, this stance will have to change.
“If HBOs continue to mature and develop, displaying high integration necessary for consciousness (per IIT) or larger-scale signal broadcasts (per GWT), the neural dynamics currently theorized to underlie consciousness skepticism may become yet more difficult to justify,” they wrote. “Conversely, to confidently proclaim selective examples of the current neurological differences between HBOs and in vivo brains as necessarily rather than simply potentially consciousness precluding in the future seems equally inconsistent.”