Implantable Computers
I'm excited about the future prospects, particularly the human body communicating and interacting with a computer. -Kevin Warwick
Introduction
On August 25, 1998, Prof. Kevin Warwick claimed to be the first person in the world to have a computer chip surgically implanted into his body. A glass capsule containing an electromagnetic coil and a silicon chip was inserted into his arm by his own doctor. As he walked through the front door of his department, the Cybernetics Department at the University of Reading, a computer recognizing him by the chip in his arm, told him about his new emails.No longer science fiction, we will have to soon face the coming of the cyborg. The total integration of human and computer brings with it a bewildering number of new issues to consider. Here, I will discuss a few of the more important questions and problems that will come with the development of a brain-computer interface.
Target Users
Almost everyone could benefit from implanting computers into their brains. It could assist those with failing memories, help people understand different languages, or just be a personal calculator. As this technology is still in development, what will happen in the future is still uncertain. However, there will probably be at least four stages and groups of users. The first batch of users will be those that need it. This will include those with disabilities, who will use this technology more by need than by choice. The next stage, as the technology matures, will involve non-disabled volunteers who will use it to enhance their skills. In here will probably fall military personnel whose lives may very well be saved if they are able to react a moment quicker. The third group of users will be those people who need to communicate as a forms of business. Just as those businesses that are unable to adapt to the Internet will die away, those that cannot adapt to the new technology will surely not last long. Finally, the last group of users will be the general public who will use this technology in their everyday lives, in the same way that people now use computers at home.New Affordances
Implantable devices will bring with it many benefits and possibilities. It can increase the range of the senses, increase memory, make it possible to communicate with others by thinking, and make information constantly available. It will require a change in input and output methods, since information could be transferred directly between the body and the computer.New Metaphors
Ideally, no metaphor would be needed. The implantable computer would be in some sense be part of the body. It would be a direct manipulation interface taken to the extreme. The interface should not be visible to the user. Unfortunately, there will still probably be some form of interface necessary in the initial stages of the technology. An interesting question is what does the user do when something does not work as expected? Due to the nature of the device, there are no visual or audio cues. In other words, there is no obvious interface that the user can really go to for help. This makes it extremely important that as the interaction designer, the device needs to be as foolproof as any piece of software or hardware can be.Current Status
Currently there are already implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). These are electronic devices surgically placed inside the body and designed to treat problem with the heart. While this is still far from the vision of connecting a computer directly to the brain, it is a practical use of implanted electronic device that has seen commercial success. Here is a picture of an ICD.
Also, biofeedback devices that attach to the head and detect brainwaves have been around for some time. As an example, the Peak Achievement Trainer comes with a simple band that you can put on and see your brain wave patterns on the computer screen. Once again, this is still very far from actually implanting a chip, but this shows a commercial product that has already built on the fact that people want to know and control how their own brains work.
As another example of the development of an implantable electronic device, British Telecom is reportedly developing a computer chip that can be implanted behind the eye which could record a person's every lifetime thought and sensation. They call the chip "the Soul Catcher" and are taking Soul Catcher in 2025 very seriously. This idea of digitizing our existence is based on calculations from the flow of impulses from the nerves in our skin, tongue, ear, and nose. Over 80 years, we process 10 terabytes of data. With the current trends in miniaturization of memory chips, they expect that in 30 years it will be possible to store 10 terabytes on today's 8 megabyte chips.
Technical Feasibility
Technologically, we are getting close to where we could implement everything if we so desired. There are already over 3 million people living with artificial implants. For example, cochlear implants directly stimulate the auditory nerve, and research is going on retinal implantable chips to restore vision to the blind.The first step to implantable computers are wearable computers. Computers have become smaller and smaller, to the point where they have almost become invisible. The next logical step is to make them invisible, so that the human no longer has to consciously wear the computer, but rather human and computer become integrated.
Other work has gone on in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to develop miniature structures that can be used to communicate directly with neurons without harming them. Peter Fromherz and Alfred Stett at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich have succeeded in making a silicon chip that can directly stimulate a single nerve cell without damaging the cell. By propagating a voltage pulse from a tiny spot on the cell membrane a neuronal impulse can be triggered. Information flow, in the reverse direction, from cell to chip may be accomplished using "neuron transistors" which receive ionic nerve impulses and transform them to electrical impulses on a silicon chip. Here is a Scientific American article talking about their work.
Social/Economic Implications
There are many ethical issues that have yet to be discussed, even if it becomes technically feasible. Fears of tampering with nature and the will of God are widespread. Michael Dertouzos writes,Even if it would someday be possible to convey such higher-level information to the brain - and that is a huge technical "If" - we should not do it. Bringing light impulses to the visual cortex of a blind person would justify such an intrusion, but unnecessarily tapping into the brain is a violation of our bodies, of nature, and for many, of God's design.While the theme of nature is good and technology is evil is common, technology has always seemed to win out in the end, perhaps because useful technology gives an advantage to those who use it over those who don't.
As technology becomes better and better, it seems the first thing on everyone's mind is privacy. Having implantable computers, blurring any distinction between human and computer, will make privacy even more of a concern. On the one hand, it may be possible to keep out criminals and unwanted people from buildings, but do we really want anyone to be able track our every move? Can we trust a computer to keep our secrets?
With the Internet, people have become connected like they have never before. Yet even with the Internet, people have the choice to step away from their computers, and to disconnect themselves from the rest of the world. It would not be as easy to just remove a surgically implanted chip.
Another consideration is who gets access to this technology. Will it be covered by standard health plans? If not, then it will probably only be affordable by some, and will increase the gap within society. As people enhance themselves with implants, there will be considerable pressure on others to avail themselves of the same treatment. At what point do we stop?
There are also psychological and philosophical issues to consider. Will the use of a brain-computer interface change our view of ourselves? Will we become like the relentless Borg from Star Trek, losing our sense of identity and giving ourselves to the will of a collective?
Resistance is futile...
See "Ethical Assessment of Implantable Brain Chips" for a more in-depth discussion about the ethics of implanting brain chips.
Conclusion
Even with all the broader social implications that have to be overcome, we should not forget the many benefits to society that implantable chips could bring. It would increase communication, increase the productivity of workers, and allow information to flow like it has never before. New technology has always met with resistance, and for good or bad, has usually been eventually accepted into society.Soon, implantable computers will be a reality, if we as a society desire it to be so. The technology is almost there, the need is there, and the practical uses are almost limitless. But the technology brings with it some challenges. It would be a completely new modality for human and computer interactions. When the computer is moved inside the body, we will have to learn to communicate within ourselves, not an easy switch for most. When something goes wrong, are we going to blame ourselves? Will it be easy to upgrade when the next version comes out? Will we be giving up some control of our body to a machine? These are very difficult questions that cannot be easily answered by anyone until the time comes.
As Warwick says:
Cybernetics is all about humans and technology interacting.