Advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence have brought the prospect of «brain weapons» closer to reality — technologies capable of influencing human consciousness, memory, and behavior. The Guardian reports on this emerging threat, citing research by Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando of the University of Bradford, who study methods of manipulating the central nervous system.

Crowley noted that humanity is entering an era in which the brain itself could become a battlefield. He argued that tools designed to affect the central nervous system — whether to calm, disorient, or coerce — are rapidly becoming more precise, more accessible, and therefore increasingly attractive to states.

The researchers plan to present their findings at a major international meeting in The Hague, where experts are discussing the idea that the human mind may become the next domain of conflict. They stress the urgency of global action to prevent neuroscience from being turned into an instrument of warfare.

Both scientists warn that only coordinated international efforts can stop the militarization of neurotechnology. Their analysis highlights new developments across neuroscience, pharmacology, and artificial intelligence that, in their view, pose unprecedented security risks.

The Guardian quotes the researchers as saying that although the concept may sound like science fiction, the danger lies in the fact that it is becoming scientific reality.

Crowley pointed out that during the Cold War and in the years that followed, the United States, the USSR, and China all worked on weapons targeting the central nervous system. Their aim was to induce long-term incapacitation, including loss of consciousness, hallucinations, paralysis, or disorientation. Modern scientific progress, he added, has made it possible to develop far more sophisticated and precise systems — technologies that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.