Exclusive | Unregulated AI Development Risks Hijacking Human Cognition, Nobel Laureate Moser Warns

Edvard Moser, the Norwegian neuroscientist who shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, has warned that the unchecked development of artificial intelligence poses a dual threat to humanity: the loss of human control over autonomous systems, and the monopolization of global information by the actors who program them.

In an exclusive interview with Storm Media during his first visit to Taiwan, Moser stressed that an urgent global regulatory framework is required to prevent AI from permanently eroding public trust in science and reality.

Echoing recent warnings by 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Geoffrey Hinton about the existential risks of artificial intelligence, Moser identified AI's trajectory as his most pressing global concern. He outlined two primary risk scenarios: AI systems becoming entirely independent and self-governing, stripping humans of oversight; or, more insidiously, a concentration of power wherein individuals program AI to dictate the flow of information. By controlling the data people receive, these actors could fundamentally manipulate human thought and cognitive independence.

"It gives some people enormous control over the world, because it controls everything in our life. They can decide what information people get and how we think about it. So it can shape our minds," Moser stated.

To mitigate these risks, he called for an urgent global regulatory framework, comparing the current unchecked AI arms race among tech giants to the ethical crisis sparked by the cloning of Dolly the sheep three decades ago, which was subsequently managed through robust international agreements.

While major technology companies like Elon Musk's Neuralink are heavily investing in brain-computer interfaces (BCI), Moser assessed that the technology's near-term potential is largely confined to sensory and motor applications, rather than the decoding of complex human cognition. BCI development has seen notable success in translating brain signals to control artificial arms or transmitting electronic signals to the brain via cochlear implants to restore hearing.

However, the prospect of machines interpreting pure thoughts and memories remains highly improbable. Moser noted that while a device might decode basic directional intentions—such as a paralyzed patient moving a computer cursor—penetrating the brain to extract abstract thought is an exponentially more complex challenge. Consequently, he views current societal concerns regarding the moral and social risks of BCI as overstated, noting that the field's progress remains slow and overly hyped compared to the immediate threat of unregulated AI.

Beyond technological risks, Moser views the erosion of societal trust in scientific consensus as one of the greatest challenges facing the modern world. He warned that the proliferation of AI exacerbates the difficulty of distinguishing fact from fiction, undermining the shared understanding of reality that underpins societal progress.

Citing climate change as a prime example, Moser observed that despite clear scientific consensus on human-induced global warming, the empirical facts are increasingly questioned or entirely ignored by the public. To counter this systemic distrust, he argued that the scientific community must continually demonstrate the tangible impact of its work to solve real-world problems, while societies must prioritize science education to reconnect the public with empirical methodologies.

Moser's warnings on cognitive manipulation carry the weight of his pioneering work in spatial cognition. On March 27, during his visit to Taiwan—facilitated by the Taiwan Bridge Project, a joint initiative by Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University, and the International Peace Foundation—he delivered a keynote address on how the brain functions as a GPS for humans. 

Academia Sinica President James C. Liao (廖俊智) highlighted that Moser's systematic observation of neural firing in rats led to the discovery that certain neurons fire in multiple locations, forming a hexagonal grid. This foundational work shifted the scientific understanding of how the brain perceives space from traditional psychology to neural circuit dynamics.

Moser and his collaborators, May-Britt Moser and John O'Keefe, proved that these "grid cells" and "place cells" work in tandem to create an internal spatial map, a breakthrough that earned them the Nobel Prize.

Moser emphasized that the entorhinal cortex, where this mapping occurs, is a critical area for early Alzheimer's disease pathology, making this research vital for the early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Moser's trajectory from a remote island off the west coast of Norway, which had a population of just 250, to becoming a Nobel laureate at age 52 underscores his belief in curiosity-driven science. Raised by a church organ builder and a homemaker, Moser was immersed in literature by his mother, reading comic books at age four and advancing to geology, meteorology, and astronomy by age seven. His primary school teachers famously noted that he consumed knowledge faster than they could provide materials.

Initially majoring in psychology and mathematics at the University of Oslo, Moser transitioned to neuroscience out of frustration with the psychological field's lack of empirical tools to study complex brain functions in the 1980s.

Recognizing that memory and spatial awareness were foundational, he pursued rigorous neuroscientific methodologies and credits a network of pioneering scientists - including his doctroral advisor andNorway's most renowned neuroscientist, Per Andersen - for his success.

Today, the 64-year-old Moser continues to urge younger generations to engage with science.

"Science is curiosity driven. You need to have a burning interest to find out something," he noted.

"We need the brightest minds to solve the biggest problems." （Related： Taiwan Battles China For Pacific Influence With Marshall Islands Visit ｜ Latest ）