Implanted body technologies are already a reality
Romanian
Photo by Viktors Duks
The machine is inside you. Implanted body technologies are already a reality
Implant technology has evolved from life-sustaining things like pacemakers to what Dr. Katina Michael calls life-enhancing technology. She is a professor at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University. She also issues a warning about what's to come.
In a video posted on TikTok , which has garnered more than 110,000 likes, a woman shows how she opens the door of her house with the help of a microchip on the back of her arm. Chipgirlhere, as she is known on the social network TikTok, says she lives in a smart home equipped with radio frequency identification receivers. Instead of using a key or digital card to lock and unlock doors, she uses an implant under the skin. It seems like a pretty practical thing.
A slightly more delicate story seems to be that of the company called Neuralink , owned by Elon Musk. It is under investigation for suspected animal abuse and suffering resulting from Musk's order to speed up animal testing. The company is trying to invent implanted brain devices that can cure neurological impairments and also allow paralyzed people to walk again.
All these things may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, but the technology behind the two is not sci-fi at all, writes codastory.com .
“Once that device is embedded, it increases handling. Our ability to control others is much greater than we realize. You can have control, comfort, care and refreshment. But the main idea is control. No matter what the application. The fundamental concept is control ," warns the expert.
People had a habit of adapting inside machines, if we look back to the 1940s and ENIAC, the first general purpose computer. Then silicon came on the scene and everything changed. More and more we have moved from large computers to mini-computers to portable computers. And now we study biomedical devices, for example, which are integrated into the human body. So I juxtaposed the fact of being inside the machine and the machine inside us.
The man who scares the cashiers
" The reactions of cashiers when paying for something in a shop or restaurant are priceless ," says Patrick Paumen, a 37-year-old Dutch security guard. Paumen, who calls himself a "biohacker", does not need to use a credit card or open his wallet when he wants to pay something, reports Rai News .
It is enough for him to bring his left hand close to the contactless card reader and the operation is successful. That's because in 2019 he had a microchip implanted under his skin, a procedure as "annoying" as a pinch, he says.
The technology has been known since 1998, but only in the last decade has it become available on the market. Paumen, however, is an extreme case, as he has 32 microchips, some of which are dedicated to "opening" doors.
" Technology continues to evolve, so I also continue to collect more and more. I wouldn't want to live without them ," he said in an interview with the BBC, adding that he doesn't worry about security or privacy.
“ The systems contain the same kind of technology that people use every day. From remote controls to open doors, to bank or public transport cards .
According to a BBC survey of 4,000 Europeans, 51% of respondents would consider having a chip implanted under their skin. The first company to sell chips for payment was Anglo-Polish Walletmor .
" The chip can be used to pay for a drink on the beach in Rio, a coffee in New York, a haircut in Paris or purchases made in a local grocery store," says founder and director Wojtek Paprota. "Can be used wherever contactless payments are accepted ."
Walletmor's chip weighs less than a gram and is slightly larger than a grain of rice, consisting of a tiny microchip and antenna encased in a biopolymer, a naturally occurring plastic-like material. Paprota explains that it is safe, works immediately after implantation and stays in the place where it was inserted. And that it does not need a battery or other power source. More than 500 have been sold so far.
The technology used by Walletmor is the same as that used by smartphones. Other payment facilities rely on radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology similar to that typically found in physical contactless credit and debit cards.
Implanted payment chips are just " an extension of the Internet of Things ", a new way to connect and exchange data, explains Theodora Lau, technology and fintech expert, co-author of the book "Beyond Good: How Technology Is Leading A Business Driven Revolution".
concern
However, there are certain aspects that cause concern, such as the possibility that in the future the chips will become more advanced and contain more private data. Also, many are wondering how secure this information is and whether a person could be tracked. The problem will be understanding when to draw the line. However, says Theodora Lau, “many people are open to the idea because the system makes payments much faster and easier. And the advantages must be weighed in relation to the risks".
The question is always the same: " How much are we willing to pay for convenience?". Where do we draw the line when it comes to privacy and security? Who will protect the infrastructure and the people who will be part of it?”
Nada Kakabadse, professor of politics, administration and ethics at Reading University's Henley Business School, is quite cautious about the future of embedded chips.
" There is a dark side to technology that contains the potential for abuse," she says. "It is a good method for those who want to limit individual freedom, because it opens up new vistas for control, manipulation and oppression." “And who owns the data? Who has access to the data? Is it ethical to chip people like we do pets?”
Steven Northam, senior lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Winchester, believes the concerns are unwarranted. He is the founder of the British company BioTeq, which has been producing contactless implanted chips since 2017. Its implants are intended for disabled people who can use the chips to open doors automatically.
" We have daily requests ," he says, " in the UK we've done over 500 implants, there was a shutdown due to Covid ." He is convinced that there are no risks.
Source: Deak Istvan, 2 February 2023, Mașinăria este în interiorul tău. Tehnologiile corporale implantate reprezintă o realitate deja, ed: editiade dimineata, https://editiadedimineata.ro/masinarie-tehnologie-implant-piele/