Augmented humans blend technology and biology with apps for the brain and embeddable devices
Thu 16 Jun 2016 at 11:38am
Self-described 'human cyborg' Neil Harbisson can perceive more colours. (Supplied: Facebook)
Augmented humans that combine technology and biology, including apps for the brain and hard drives wired straight into people's veins are just around the corner, according to a business software company.
Key points:
- Augmented humans will combine technology and biology
- Psychologists wary about what it means for how humans think, their ability to make choices
- Embedded technology already being used such as pacemakers
- App stores will allow people to download information straight into their brain
The MYOB future of business report said the innovation could mean big benefits for businesses and society.
However, psychologists are wary the innovation will impact how humans think and their ability to make choices.
Chief technology officer with MYOB Simon Raik-Allen said augmented humans were just around the corner.
"Today we have wearables and in the future we will have embeddables — similar kinds of devices, but instead of sitting around your wrist or ankle or somewhere, they'll be sitting under your skin and that will give them a lot more power,"he said.
"They'll know what is happening in your heart rate and what's actually happening inside your blood.
"And that's a whole opening up of another dimension of visibility we've never had before"
He said there were already examples of embedded technology in human bodies now.
"Pacemakers are an amazing piece of technology, they sit under the skin and it's plugged into their heart," Mr Raik-Allen said.
"We have some very advanced technology already that we embed; it's not a big step."
App store for the brain
Beyond that Mr Raik-Allen said rewiring of the brain may be possible with its own version of an app store.
"So you go to your phone today, and you go 'ok what can I add to my phone that will give me some functionality?'. You'll be able to do that for your brain," he said.
"Maybe I'll download a Chinese language pack, maybe you'll add a whole set of data, maybe Wikipedia put inside your brain and download it, so you will have access to it when you're thinking.
"That's artificial intelligence, but embedded and accessed through your brain."
Mr Raik-Allen said he thought the augmented human had benefits for medicine, health and business development.
He said people would be able to rapidly process vast amounts of data and work more collaboratively.
Choice and freedom a concern: psychologist
Bill Campos, a clinical psychologist who specialises in using technology to connect to his patients, said he was not convinced on the science behind apps for the brain.
"We're just finding out about our brains in terms of complexities of certain interactions," he said.
"I'm not sure how you could download something into your brain and suddenly have that information, I mean that's still science fiction to some extent."
Mr Campos said it was too early to determine the impact, but warned that any technology which played with the brain needed to adapt to its plasticity and need for change.
"You take away the struggles of learning a language because it potentially could be downloaded into your brain, but it still doesn't teach you how you could use that language in terms of the social factors, the social interactions."
But Mr Campo said his main concern was about choice and freedom.
"There has been some research in the past about genetic screening, and I guess the essence becomes who comes to have the power or the choice of using that knowledge or technology," he said.
"Technology has the potential for same sort of thing, so you actually download something into your brain, but it needs you to have the hardware, so there will be a company that will be manufacturing that.
"So essentially there is a danger there that it becomes a lack of choice or a power shift, in terms of how you may want to disconnect or not use those services anymore."
