The Ideological Use of the Singularity Argument: How a Narrative Can Shape the Regulation of Neurotechnology

This paper analyses the notion of technological Singularity. In particular, how it is deployed in the debate on the regulation of new technologies. The paper argues that this notion appears in arguments that are ideologically connoted. Transhumanists use it to ground a specific narrative in favour of enhancing humanity. The discussion of the Singularity Argument will be framed within the debate on non-medical neurotechnologies, which raise ethical-legal challenges in terms of the formulation and implementation of legal rules. First, the fallacies of the narrative will be investigated. Secondly, the problems of the Singularity Argument, discrimination, and inequality, will be addressed. Thirdly, new regulatory perspectives discussed within the European legal framework will be considered.