From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Brain Implants Could Improve Human Performance -- and
Reshape Society

Description: Brain implants may be closer than you think -- and their
potential goes far beyond medicine.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined how these
technologies could evolve over the next decade, including their
potential to enhance human capabilities, improve learning, and change
how people interact with technology.

But as development accelerates, big questions remain:
Who gets access? What's acceptable? And how could this reshape society?

These issues are explored further in GAO's report, On the Horizon: Three
Science and Technology Trends that Could Affect Society.

Related GAO Work: GAO-26-108079, On the Horizon: Three Science and
Technology Trends that Could Affect Society

Released: April 2026


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Neural Implants

[ Sterling Thomas, Chief Scientist, GAO, speaking: ]

Looking at Neural Implants specifically for the purpose of trying to
improve someone's performance either physically or mentally.

How do you deal with part of society that had an implant put in and they
can learn something faster, they can retain information better, or they
can without using their hands.


[ Nicole Catanzarite, Senior Biological Scientist, GAO, speaking: ]

Its very uncertain which applications society will be okay with, and so
there's a lot of ethical questions around that.


[ Sterling Thomas: ]

That's an important part of what we talk about, you know, what does
Congress and the general public, how should they think about this?


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Find Out More In Our Report

On the Horizon
Three Science and Technology Trends that Could Affect Society
GAO


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For more info, check out our report GAO-26-108079 at: GAO.gov