Sender, receiver and medium
Sender
The sender of the TED talk “When technology can read minds, how will we protect our privacy?” “ is Nita Farahany.
Farahany is a professor of law and philosophy who specializes in bioethics and ethics of technology in general. She was also part of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues during former US President Barack Obama’s government. This background makes her highly qualified to speak about issues of ethics and law, especially in relation to new technology.
Farahany also has an Iranian-American background. Though this would not normally be relevant to discuss in connection with a talk on such a technical topic, it is interesting in this particular case, because Farahany weaves her experience with the Iranian regime into her talk at several points (see below).
Farahany sums up both her professional qualifications and her nationality during the talk itself: “As a bioethicist, a lawyer, a philosopher and an Iranian-American, I’m deeply concerned about what this means for our freedoms…” (ll.13-15).
Her Iranian background is also brought up during the beginning and end of the talk, as she describes the eve...