The fourth annual Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize has concluded at MIT, with the grand prize awarded to Rachel Sava, a doctoral candidate in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, for her critical examination of neurotechnology ethics. Sponsored by the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing initiative within the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, in partnership with the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and MAC3 Philanthropies, the competition challenges students to evaluate the societal benefits and risks of emerging artificial intelligence applications. Sava’s winning submission, titled Superintelligence, Superintimate, explores the potential dangers of neural implants as they transition from clinical interventions to consumer products. Drawing on early career experiences with brain-computer interface research at IBM’s PACE Center in London, Sava argues that the current watershed moment in neurotechnology demands proactive ethical guardrails. She warns that devices initially designed to restore communication for patients with severe neurological conditions could eventually be repurposed by corporate and state actors to monitor mental productivity or police thought patterns. Her analysis emphasizes the necessity of embedding human agency and regulatory frameworks into the development lifecycle of brain-machine technologies before they reach mass markets. The annual award, conceptualized in 2023 by philosophy professor and former SERC associate dean Caspar Hare, requires participants to submit concise research proposals weighing technological advancement against public impact. This year’s cohort delivered interdisciplinary analyses spanning brain-computer interfaces, artificial intelligence in legal defense, neural-controlled prosthetics, and energy grid optimization. In addition to Sava’s $10,000 grand prize, judges awarded $5,000 runners-up to Cordiana Cozier, a chemistry doctoral candidate, for her research on deploying AI as a cognitive support system for public defenders, and Strahinja Janjusevic, a graduate student in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, for his work on ownership and agency in neuroprosthetic control. Four additional submissions received honorable mention awards. Program directors Brian Hedden and Nikos Trichakis highlighted the competition’s success in fostering rigorous ethical foresight across engineering, medicine, and policy disciplines. By mandating that students evaluate what technological systems should do rather than merely what they can do, the initiative aims to shape the next generation of compute and engineering leaders toward socially responsible innovation. The ceremony, which featured finalist presentations and jury deliberations, underscored a growing academic consensus that breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and neurotechnology require parallel advances in governance, public trust, and ethical design. As neuroimplant capabilities accelerate toward commercial deployment, the prize framework serves as a mechanism for institutionalizing precautionary research and ensuring that emerging neural interfaces remain aligned with democratic values and individual rights.