How many cyborgs did you meet while walking down the street today? I think at least five. Did they make you nervous? Hardly. You probably didn't even pay attention to them. Speaking at the Singularity University Global Summit on Biohacking and the Connected Body, Hannes Syoblad told the audience that we are already living in the age of cyborgs. Syoblad is one of the founders of the non-profit Swedish biohacker network Bionyfiken, which has brought together amateur biologists, hackers, manufacturers, body and health modifiers under the same flag of research into the integration of machines and people.
Syoblad believes that the cyborgs we see today are not like Hollywood prototypes; these are ordinary people who have integrated technology into their bodies to observe or improve certain aspects of their health. Syoblad defines biohacking as the application of hacker ethics to biological systems. Some biohackers are experimenting with their own biology, trying to bring the human experience beyond what nature has designated.
Smart insulin monitoring systems, pacemakers, bionic eyes, and cochlear implants are all examples of biohacking, according to Syoblad. “We are living in a time when, thanks to technology, we can make the deaf hear, the blind see and the lame walk,” says Syoblad. He is convinced that while biohacking can ultimately make Brave New World dystopia a reality, it can also improve and enhance the quality of life in a variety of ways.
The area where biohacking can have the greatest positive impact is health. In addition to pacemakers and insulin monitors, several new technologies are currently being developed to improve our health and make it easier to access information about our bodies.
Ingestibles (aka wearable) are a new type of smart pill that uses wireless technology to monitor internal drug responses to help clinicians determine optimal dosage levels and individualized procedures for different people. Your body absorbs drugs in a very different way from your neighbor's body, why then are you and him prescribed the same treatment? Shouldn't it be unique, related to your unique body system? Colonoscopy and endoscopy may one day be replaced by miniature pills with video cameras that collect and transmit images as they travel through the gastrointestinal tract.
Security is another area where biohacking can be beneficial. One of the examples given by Syoblad is gun personalization, which can be extremely relevant in countries where the possession of weapons is allowed: a thief in your house will not be able to grab your pistol and shoot at you, since the pistol will be individually configured for your fingerprint or synchronized with your body in such a way that it will only respond to the signal from the host.
Biohacking can also make day-to-day tasks easier. For example, an NFC chip was implanted into the hand of Syoblad himself. The chip contains information from everything he carried and used in his pockets: credit and bank card information, office building and gym access keys, business cards, and a frequent customer card. When he is in line for morning coffee or trying to get to the office on time, he does not need to scour his pockets or purse in search of change, credit card or keys; he simply moves his hand over the sensor and carries away his glass.
NFC chips, which have evolved from radio frequency identification (RFID), an old and widespread technology, are activated by another chip and send a small amount of information back and forth. No wireless connection needed. Syoblad sees his NFC implant as a private key to the Internet of Things, an easy way to connect with smart connected devices around him.
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Syoblad is not the only one who feels the need for connection, for connection.
When British writer Frank Swain realized he was going to be deaf, he decided to hack his hearing by teaching him to hear Wi-Fi. Swain has developed software that tunes to wireless fields and uses a built-in Wi-Fi sensor to select the router name, encryption mode, and distance from the device. This data is translated into an audio stream, and remote signals sound like a click or crack, and a strong signal gives out its network ID in a looped melody. Swain hears it all through his upgraded hearing aid.
Global data streams can be sensory experiences. Spanish artist Moon Ribas designed and implanted a chip in the elbow that connects to a global seismic sensor monitoring system; every time an earthquake occurs, she feels it through the vibrations in her hand.
You, too, can feel connected to the planet. North Sense is developing an “autonomous artificial senses” that connects to your body and vibrates whenever you look north. It is a built-in compass with which you will never get lost.
Biohacking applications will proliferate in the coming years; some will be especially useful, some will not. But along with this, serious ethical issues are also raised that simply cannot be ignored in the development and use of these technologies. To what extent is it reasonable to tease nature and who will decide what these restrictions should be?
Most of us are quite willing to wait an extra ten minutes in line or open a compass or maps app on our phone; it is not necessary to implant computer chips in the elbows for this. In the end, if a criminal wants to, he will cut a piece of skin from his hand and have instant access to our personal data, just as if he stole a wallet. The interference with the physical body part and the chance that something will go wrong outweigh all the possible benefits that the average person can get from this use of technology.
But this is only for now, and it will not always be so. The miniaturization of technology continues at a rapid pace. Everything becomes smaller without losing its usefulness. Already today, both young and old are benefiting from biohacking. Take a look around and think about how many cyborgs are already walking the streets with you. It's unavoidable.
ILYA KHEL