From Frankenstein to Astro Boy: A Research Agenda for Understanding Cultural Narratives, Media Representation, and the Ethics of Neurotechnology Governance

Our enduring cultural narratives about technology-carried across generations and embedded in collective memory-shape how societies interpret and respond to emerging innovations such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and neurotechnology. These stories may help shape regulatory discourse by embedding philosophical assumptions and ethical norms into governance frameworks. Frankenstein and Astro Boy serve here as illustrative archetypes that capture contrasting traditions of technological imagination: one foregrounding risk, hubris, and individual autonomy; the other emphasizing harmony, relationality, and technological partnership. Media representations continue to reinforce these orientations, framing debates over the integration of technology into human life. While Western narratives often highlight threats to personal freedom, many East Asian portrayals explore technology's role in sustaining social balance. Yet within all regions, there remains significant internal diversity. This paper develops a research agenda for understanding the relationship between cultural narratives, media portrayals, and neurotechnology governance. Drawing on examples from literature, film, and policy debates, it identifies patterns of correlation-not causation-between cultural imaginaries and regulatory approaches. Our approach builds on prior experiments in anticipatory governance, such as <i>Responsible Research and Innovation</i> and its application in the Human Brain Project. These initiatives showed both the value and the challenge of embedding ethical reflection into scientific practice. By extending this conversation to include cultural narratives, we highlight how global governance of neurotechnology can be broadened beyond a European focus to integrate diverse philosophical traditions and imaginaries. We conclude by outlining mechanisms for more inclusive governance-layered regulation, cross-cultural deliberation, international impact assessment, and a novel Narrative-Informed Governance Toolkit with five operationalizable components-offering conceptual scaffolding to guide future empirical research and practical design. Building on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) frameworks while addressing their documented limitations, our approach extends anticipatory governance by treating cultural narratives as resources for governance design.