Workshop 2 — The Possibility of Digital Sentience: Ethical and Conceptual Challenges in NeuroAI

Workshop 2 — The Possibility of Digital Sentience: Ethical and Conceptual Challenges in NeuroAI

Calendar 15, 16 or 17 July 2026 (tbc)
Laptop Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 120 minutes
The Zoom link will be shared with participants ahead of the session.


Overview

This workshop introduces neuroethics as both a theoretical and practical field, combining conceptual reflection with applied ethical analysis. It focuses on digital sentience as an emerging and contested possibility in AI and neurotechnology.
Participants will examine how different interpretations of key concepts—particularly sentience—shape ethical reasoning, scientific practice, and real-world applications across domains.


Purpose

To introduce participants to the conceptual and ethical challenges surrounding claims about digital sentience, while providing tools to critically assess how such concepts are used in research, media, and governance contexts.


Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
  • Recognize conceptual ambiguities in discussions of AI and the brain
  • Understand the role of concepts in shaping ethical analysis
  • Apply ethical reasoning to emerging neuro-AI technologies
  • Critically evaluate claims about digital sentience and their implications


Topics (Draft)

Introduction
  • Neuroethics as a theoretical and practical field
  • Conceptual challenges in brain research and disruptive technologies
Focus: Digital Sentience
  • Examination of claims about digital sentience
  • Conceptual analysis of “sentience” and related terms
Ethical Analysis
  • How interpretations of digital sentience shape responsibility, trust, and use
  • Implications for research, governance, and applications
Closing
  • Digital sentience as not only a technical question, but a conceptual and ethical one
  • How interpretations influence scientific practice, real-world applications, and ethical outcomes


Format

  • Pre-reading primer (shared in advance)
  • Lecture (30–45 minutes)
  • Interactive segment with case-based discussion


Speakers/Facilitators

Dr. Karen Rommelfanger

Dr. Arleen Salles