Human +
The first brain-computer interfaces hit the market in 2037. They allowed direct, bi-directional communication between human brains and external devices, and even restored some sensory perception to those who lacked it due to physical disabilities. Implanted chips extended the brain’s capacity and connected it to the internet. Soft wearable exosuits appeared that enhanced physical abilities such as walking, jumping and gripping, while extending the tactile perception of reality. Alongside advancements in data transmission, these advances made teleoperation viable – so repair technicians or surgeons could do their highly specialized work remotely. Humans were on their way to becoming cyborgs, permanently connected to devices that enhanced their mental and physical capability.
Context:
In the 2000s, a range of physical devices and digital apps brought health and life- style together in new ways.
The 2020s saw the first concepts that enabled humans to transcend the limits of their natural capabilities.
Microchip implants connected individuals with information on external databases and allowed for personal identification, disclosure of medical records, access according to security settings and automatic payments.
By the 2030s, implants could record the levels of drugs within the human body. GPS capabilities allowed the spatial and time-based tracking of individuals.
Roland, 26, is a true cyborg native. A life- long geek, he’s one of those early adopters who look for every way they can optimize their daily lives through technology. At 26, he’s also a real go-getter, and has already founded a successful company. The key to Roland’s achievements is his never-ending monitoring of his personal health. It’s been five years since he got his electronic healthcare chip implanted; it was supplied and subsidized by his healthcare provider. The health chip is permanently connected to an interactive, AI-based coach, dedicated to optimizing Roland’s productivity by offering recommendations on diet, nutrition, exercise and sleep. Everything is grounded in health data collected from Roland and his fellow early adopters.
Roland’s ultra-healthy meals are diligently prepared by his trusty AutoChef – a sophisticated kitchen device linked to his virtual coach that works rather like a 3D printer for food. The fridge and larder are automatically restocked by an autonomous robot delivery service while Roland is busy at work; all he has to do is carry the goods – packed in reusable containers, of course – from the doorstep to the kitchen. During the daytime, in order to boost productivity, Roland takes dietary supplements based on nutrients, vitamins, minerals and anti- oxidants that are naturally found in fruits, vegetables and nuts, as well as fish and dairy products. In the evenings, to enhance sleep quality, the AutoChef thoughtfully provides dishes that are higher protein and lower in fat. Whenever he can, Roland follows his coach’s recommended bedtimes. Once, he even left a concert early so his weekly sleep stats didn’t take a hit.
Roland’s friends can’t get their heads round all this, but they’ve long given up trying to talk him out of it. For them, what makes life worth living is the joy of eating great food and a glass of fine wine, around a table, in the company of old friends. Roland loves a good dinner too – but only on special occasions. When it comes to his day-to-day routine, he’s all about control. His smart home is full of interconnected devices that independently share data and shape the environment to his needs. Temperatures, air quality and light levels are adjusted in response to weather conditions and Roland’s own activity, while housekeeping, grocery shopping and maintenance are all taken care of automatically.
Humans have always striven to augment their capabilities. They have fashioned glasses and telescopes, hearing aids and noise-cancelling headphones, bicycles and cars, crutches and wheelchairs, cranes and excavators. At the beginning of 2000s, contact lenses, augmented hearing aids, fitness trackers and a myriad of wellness, optimization and sport apps brought health, lifestyle and gadgetry together in new ways. Around the same time, scientists discovered how to augment brain activities to suppress the symptoms of neurological diseases.
The 2020s saw the first concepts that enabled humans to transcend the limits of their natural capabilities. Microchip implants connected individuals with information on external databases, and allowed for personal identification, disclosure of medical records and access to buildings, departments or rooms according to security credentials. They also enabled automatic payments, fostering the development of a cashless society.
Even though his parents strictly opposed the technology due to concerns over privacy and identity theft, Roland got an ID chip implanted as soon as he turned 18. He was already seriously into optimizing his time and his way of life, and the well- established implant technology was perfectly in tune with his goals. Now he could share data on his movements with individuals and AI entities – in fact, selling his personal data allowed him to generate the seed capital for his first company. For Roland, data is an asset to be monetized like any other, and he firmly believes there’s no real downside to doing so. Others, meanwhile, are far more mindful of the value of their data and their digital reputations, realizing how fragile they can be in the wrong hands. Newly founded NGOs carefully evaluate companies’ data policies and actively warn citizens of potentially harmful agreements.
Three years ago, Roland went a step further and became one of the first people to implant the free Google Mind chip. Now he had a permanent connection from his brain to the internet, which dramatically expanded his information retrieval abilities. In Roland’s view, interfaces for the manual input and optical perception of data are yesterday’s tech. With iGoogle in place, he can access information in an instant, translate his thoughts into multiple languages and connect to others in a truly virtual space. Without leaving his couch, he can travel instantly to virtual locations around the world.
Since VR technology cannot yet replicate reality in all its sensory richness, soft exosuits are still used to transfer tactile information. However, exosuits do much more than this. Through micro- servo technology and sensors placed on the wearer’s muscles, they can also enhance their strength, agility and coordination, up to and even beyond the limits of the human body. In the workplace, this allows a single worker to take on heavy tasks that might have required two people or a machine to accomplish. There are exciting leisure options too – for example, although Roland’s balance has never been so great, in his exosuit he can walk a tightrope, or find out how it feels to walk on the moon. Finally, exosuits can sometimes restore people with serious injuries or disabilities to full mobility, even allowing those who have been lifelong wheelchair users to walk normally for the first time in their lives.
Such heavy augmentation of the body has led many to question what it really means to be human. If everything is effort- less, and actions are as easy as thoughts, has life become more like watching TV? Where is the fulfillment that comes from working hard, overcoming challenges and receiving a fair reward? If there is no longer any pain, is there really any gain? Is it really human beings who are doing all these wonderful things, or just machines?
Roland’s working day is shaped around meetings, presentations and one-on-one conversations with clients around the globe. Depending on the technology that his counterparts have available, they either join him in a VR or AR meeting room, or he delivers a presentation by appearing as a holographic projection. These virtual solutions enable Roland to completely eliminate wasted traveling time. For important meetings, however – and especially when rapport, empathy, collaboration and creativity will add value – people still go to the trouble and expense of physical travel. Team-building sessions, strategic brainstorms and job interviews, for instance, are frequently still held face-to-face. As the technology gradually replaces real meetings, the doubters maintain that meeting physically is never a waste of time or resources, since only direct interaction allows a true connection.
By 2040, the only thing holding virtual reality back from perfection was the absorption capacity of the human brain.
Researchers advancing the development of invasive brain-computer interfaces were expected to make external devices such as VR glasses, headphones and soft exosuits obsolete, while extending sensory information in the realms of smell and taste. As well as allowing anyone to enter a perfect virtual realm, this technology promised a new world of experience for people born with sensory defects, or those who had lost the use of one or more senses following accident or injury.
Technology may have changed human nature over the last 20 years, but it still can’t replace a human being. Six months ago, Roland’s girlfriend Rita was selected to spend three months at a base on the moon, as part of a program created by Virgin Galactic and the Apple/Google consortium to explore the implications of long-distance space travel and life on other planets. Public and private companies alike are working on special missions to populate other planets, even though interest among the general public in long-term off-world living is negligible. While Rita is away, Roland can see and chat to her in VR, and even exchange some tactical sensation through their exosuits – but no suit can take the place of a person, or the thrill of romance.
That’s why Roland recently signed up for a trial of the latest advanced brain- computer-interface chips. This next generation can fully replicate reality across all five senses, with no need for any additional interfaces. As part of the space exploration program, Rita has also had a prototype chip implanted before her lunar expedition. Now, Roland and Rita hope to connect with each other in an alternative realm that replicates physical reality down to the tiniest detail. Finally, they will meet as a couple in the virtual world.
Opinions:
“Each different aspect has huge potential to improve people’s lives. It could level the global playing field.”
– Oliver Schweizer, Student
“Although AI can help us live in a better environment, which is good for health, I still hate everything being under control. If we lose our freedom, a longer life seems to have no meaning.”
– Zhuoyi Liang, Student