Responsible neurotechnology in context: Insights from focus groups in Argentina and Mexico

Latin America is a region characterized by cultural diversity and complex social dynamics with distinct subcultures shaped by Indigenous, Afro Caribbean, and European influences. Accordingly, traditions, beliefs, and social structures vary across different countries and ethnic groups. However, many countries in the region share historical trajectories marked by colonial legacies, uneven development, and enduring structural inequalities. These trajectories have shaped contemporary conditions and are reflected in some common regional challenges, including political and economic instability, socioeconomic disadvantage, and corruption. These broader conditions partly provide the context in which emerging neurotechnologies are perceived and governed in the region. To explore this issue, we focus on Argentina and Mexico, two countries with strong macroeconomic indicators compared to others in the region and important contributors to neuroscience and neurotechnology research, including high-profile neuroscience research centers. We conducted four mini-focus groups (2 groups with Mexican experts ( n = 9) and 2 with Argentinian experts ( n = 7)). Data was analyzed qualitatively using thematic content analysis by coding and organizing the data systematically, identifying similarities and differences across. Both Mexico and Argentina have a strong neuroscience tradition and internationally recognized research centers, yet the development and deployment of neurotechnologies is limited and uneven, largely concentrated in a few institutions. In both countries there is regulatory uncertainty and the presence of structural barriers such as chronic underinvestment in science and technology, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and regional disparities in access. In the focus groups in Mexico, participants tended to focus on the lack of capacity building and dissemination, as well as the dependency on innovations from the Global North. In Argentina, participants underscored the enduring influence of psychoanalysis in how neuroscience and neurotechnologies are perceived and used, and they also expressed concerns around the dual use of neurotechnology. While Mexico and Argentina have their own regulatory and sociocultural landscapes, they share several commonalities with respect to neurotechnology innovation. Our findings highlight the need for better understanding the socio-politico factors shaping perspectives on neurotechnology and for more effective dissemination and interdisciplinary collaboration.