Microchip Implants or an LED Tattoo? Which Cybernetic Enhancements Should I Put In My Body?
Kazimierz Rajnerowicz · Updated Oct 27, 2021
For most of us, cybernetic implants still seem like something straight out of a science fiction movie. Yet, more and more people are deciding to have RFID microchips or biomagnets implanted in their hands and fingers.
There could already be over 100,000 people who “biohacked” their bodies. Just one microchip retailer based in Seattle has partnerships with more than 100 biohackers and body modification specialists all over the world. Chances are you can get a cybernetic implant in your city—if you know where to look
We decided to examine this trend and find out the answers to the following questions:
What are the most desired body upgrades? Are people ready to adopt this technology? Are cybernetic enhancements the next step in human evolution?
Major findings: Cybernetic implants and body upgrades Some people think that cybernetic “upgrades” are just a craze.
Grinders, cybergoths, and biohackers are perceived as just another subculture that wants to shock the general public.
Cybernetic enhancement is the use of cybernetics and technology to improve the functioning and performance of the human body. The concept is still mostly theoretical but prosthetic limbs, microchip implants, and computer-brain interfaces may become widely available in the future.
For the moment, the use of implants is limited and they can be seen simply as a type of body modification. Some, however, believe that cybernetic enhancements will make us smarter, faster, or even immortal.
More than 75% of people are willing to implant a microchip to monitor their health Health monitoring is one of the most promising applications of cybernetic implants. Three in four respondents would allow such implants in their bodies. Such devices would enable more accurate and faster diagnosis. Interestingly, research on microchip implants in healthcare is at a fairly advanced stage.
About 56% of respondents believe that cybernetic implants will become a widespread technology during the second half of this century Over half of the survey respondents think that cybernetic enhancements will become as commonplace as smartphones after the year 2050. Only 12% think that they will become popular within the next decade. About 11% believe that this technology will never become widely available.
As many as 74% of Generation Z respondents like the idea of upgrading their bodies with cybernetic enhancements The same is true for only 64% of Millenials and about 55% of older respondents. While the majority still finds this technology too primitive, the youngest segment is very open to various possibilities offered by the development of cybernetic solutions and body upgrades.
Arduino or Raspberry Pi users are twice more willing to self-inject microchips with DIY cyber enhancement kits than those who don’t own any of the boards Almost 70% of Raspberry Pi/Arduino owners declare they would inject a microchip implant on their own with a DIY kit if they were widely available. Among the respondents who don’t have them, only 35% would do the same.
According to 42% of the survey respondents, cybernetic enhancements should only be available to restore body functions lost in accidents or due to diseases Opinions are very divided, and for every person who favors free access to implants and body enhancements (51% of respondents), there is someone who believes that access should be restricted (42%) or that cybernetic implant research should be banned altogether (about 6% of respondents).
Almost 63% of the youngest respondents think cybernetic implants will become trendy because of the “cool” factor Gen Z respondents believe that implants can be cool and trendy. Furthermore, 71% of them believe that cybernetic enhancements can be an expression of who you are—just like piercing, tattoos, and other body modifications.
Almost 55% of Millennials think that the risks associated with cybernetic implants outweigh their potential benefits (but Gen Z respondents aren’t so sure) Generation Z seems to believe that the potential benefits linked with cybernetic enhancements and microchips are very promising. Only 35% of them think that risks outweigh the benefits, which is the lowest result among all age groups.
About 65% of tattoo owners and respondents with piercings say they would allow their (hypothetical) teenage child to implant a bionic eye Body modification enthusiasts claim to be more liberal towards accepting choices of their potential offspring. If their teenage child wanted to replace a perfectly healthy eye with a bionic eye to play virtual reality video games, only 35% would object. For those without tattoos or piercings, the numbers are reversed.
Ten best cybernetic body enhancements Quite recently, a boy genius with a degree in physics has announced that he wanted to achieve technological immortality.
How?
I want to be able to replace as many body parts as possible with mechanical parts. I’ve mapped out a path to get there. You can see it as a big puzzle.
Simons Laurent
a child prodigy
By replacing body organs with robotic parts people will be able to extend their lifespan. But there are some discrepancies between the most useful enhancements, the most desired ones, and the ones that are actually installed as of 2021.
