How did Benjamin Libet's findings challenge the idea of conscious choice?

Benjamin Libet’s experiments in the 1980s challenged the traditional understanding of free will by suggesting that voluntary actions may originate unconsciously.1

In his study, Libet observed that an electrical change in the brain, known as the "readiness potential," occurred 350 to 850 milliseconds before subjects reported becoming aware of their conscious desire to move their hands. This led many to argue that the brain initiates action before the conscious mind is aware of the decision, potentially rendering the feeling of conscious choice an illusion.1

However, these findings remain highly controversial regarding moral responsibility for several reasons:

• Veto Power: Libet himself argued that conscious will might still function as a "free won't," allowing individuals to veto unconsciously generated impulses.1
• Experimental Limitations: Critics suggest that the requirement for subjects to monitor their internal states during spontaneous movements may have led to inaccurate reporting or compromised the spontaneity of the actions.1
• Nature of Actions: The movements studied were arbitrary and impulsive, which critics argue are fundamentally different from complex, deliberative actions that typically define moral agency.1

Ultimately, there is no scientific consensus on whether these findings disprove the existence of free will.1