Mood enhancement technology: ethical and legal challenges

Traditional technology-supported means of human enhancement already existed for a long time. However, over the past years we have been witnessing the rapid development of new technologies significantly advancing human abilities and improving individual human performance through, for instance, ‘smart’ glasses, ‘smart’ drugs, artificial intelligence-enhanced prosthetic limbs, or magnetic fingertips. The potential benefits of these new technologies are numerous. But however beneficial these technologies may seem, their potentially disruptive (and sometimes invasive) nature challenges a number of ethical principles and legal norms. In particular, the focus of this doctoral research proposal is on the ethical and legal challenges mood enhancement technology (i.e., a spray that could be used for happiness augmentation; MET) brings along with its introduction into society. Currently, a debate on the ethics of developing and using technology of this kind is ongoing. However, what is missing is a clear distinction as to which ethical principles should be considered when discussing human enhancement at a legislative level. Furthermore, lawmakers and policymakers often emphasize a present lack of and an urgent need for an overarching and structured legal framework to guide advancements of such a technology in a legally and ethically sound manner. Hence, after drawing a clear picture about the most relevant ethical principles that should guide development of mood enhancement technology, this doctoral proposal further aspires to provide recommendations and guidelines for setting up a regulatory framework supported by the mood enhancement technology impact assessment (METIA).