Call for Papers:

At the Crossroads of Mind and Machine: Neuroethics Reshaped by LLMs (LLM-Neuroethics)
A special issue of the journal Neuroethics
https://link.springer.com/collections/jfcjdddgdd

Editors:  Shengbai Chen, Xiaojun Ding, Jianhua Mei, Hao Zhan and  Mirko Farina

Deadline for submissions: October 31, 2026

We are witnessing an unprecedented explosion in Large Language Models (LLMs), shifting the integration of generative AI and mind sciences from theoretical speculation to immediate practical application. As LLMs are increasingly deployed to decode neural data, model human cognition, and act as therapeutic agents, establishing robust philosophical and ethical frameworks is no longer a future goal but an urgent necessity. This Topical Collection captures this critical convergence, formalizing “LLM-Neuroethics” as a novel, distinct sub-field at the exact moment when LLM and neuroscience inextricably merge.

By uniting insights from philosophy, cognitive science, computer science, and psychology, this collection aims to foster an impactful, cross-disciplinary dialogue. It will not only map the current ethical landscape of LLM-augmented mind sciences but also set the research agenda for the next decade of neuroethics, providing vital theoretical foundations for researchers and policymakers alike.

The urgency and momentum of this theme are underscored by the 23rd “Mind and Machine” Conference (2026)—a forum with a 23-year history of pioneering interdisciplinary dialogue in China and internationally—which has dedicated its entire annual meeting to this specific intersection. Capitalizing on this mobilized academic community, this Topical Collection attempts to actively curate and define the boundaries of LLM-Neuroethics, driving the future discourse of the mind sciences.

TOPICS:

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• Neural Decoding, Mental Privacy, and Cognitive Liberty:
  Ethical, legal, and philosophical implications of using LLMs to decode continuous language and thoughts from neural data (e.g., fMRI, EEG); definitions of mental integrity in the LLM era.
• BCIs, LLM Integration, and Human Agency:
  How the convergence of Brain-Computer Interfaces and generative AI reshapes user intent, the phenomenology of control, and the risks of autonomy dilution or weakened free will.
• LLMs as Computational Models for the Neuroscience of Ethics:
  Utilizing generative AI to simulate and test human moral judgment, intuitions, cognitive biases, self-deception, and weakness of the will (akrasia).
• Philosophy of Mind, Machine Capabilities, and Consciousness:
  The impact of advanced LLMs on concepts of artificial Theory of Mind (ToM), machine personhood, and moral responsibility; the ethical risks of the phenomenological illusion of machine consciousness.
• AI Therapists and Psychological Interventions:
  Neuroethical and clinical implications of deploying LLMs in mental health and philosophical counseling; the ethics of outsourcing empathy and its long-term effects on narrative identity and human bonding.
• Automated Neuro-Research, AI Writing, and Technological Governance:
  Ethical governance of generative AI in automated scientific discovery, literature synthesis, and manuscript drafting; addressing the crisis of academic credit, epistemic pollution, and dual-use regulation.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

Please submit your paper by October 31, 2026. Should you not be able to meet this deadline, please contact the Lead Guest Editor (contact details below).

ONLINE SUBMISSION:

Please use the journal’s online submissions system. Paper submissions via email are not accepted.

AUTHOR SUBMISSION’S GUIDELINES:

Authors are asked to prepare their manuscripts according to the journal’s standard submission guidelines.

EDITORIAL PROCESS:

• When uploading your paper, please indicate it is for consideration in relation to Neuroethics Reshaped by LLMs (LLM-Neuroethics).
• All papers will undergo the journal’s standard review procedure (double-blind peer-review), according to the journal’s Peer Review Policy, Process and Guidance
• Reviewers will be selected according to the Peer Reviewer Selection policies.
• This journal offers the option to publish Open Access. You are allowed to publish open access through Open Choice. Please explore the OA options available through your institution by referring to our list of OA Transformative Agreements.

CONTACT:

For any questions, please directly contact the Lead Guest Editor: Xiaojun Ding (xiaojunding@xjtu.edu.cn).