WEF Research & Development Publishes Article on Augmented Reality and Microchip Implants
Are we moving towards a ‘brave new world’? As scary as chip implants may sound, they form part of a natural evolution that wearables once underwent. Hearing aids or glasses no longer carry a stigma. They are accessories and are even considered a fashion item. Likewise, implants will evolve into a commodity. If that sounds unlikely, then consider the alternatives we currently use. Drugs often show unwanted effects because they affect multiple biological processes at the same time. Someone on long-term medication may want to try an implant that sends very precise electrical or optical pulses instead.
Getting an implant is obviously more invasive than picking up a pair of glasses. Generally, implants will be linked to medical conditions. The extent to which a particular device becomes common will depend on the technology’s functionality and how far it’s integrated into your body and daily life(style).
Carrying around the equivalent of a dog’s nose in a gadget like your phone or a wearable like a necklace can be handy to sniff out COVID-19 or food allergens. In those cases, it is usually enough that your phone pings whenever you’re in the vicinity of whatever you’re guarding against. There is no immediate reason to implant this extra sense into your body. However, a deadly peanut allergy may justify a more permanent solution.
Brain implants take us one step further and allow us to tap straight into the body’s “operating system”. We have already started interfacing with the brain using neural probes to mitigate symptoms of epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease or depression. Most applications will remain based on medical necessity rather than a mind reading tool. While it is true that companies like Neuralink have been targeting the brain from the get-go, brain implants may not be the first choice in our augmented society.
