How will the Internet of bodies change our lives?
When we say that a person can hack someone else’s pacemaker or insulin pump, and may kill him just by intercepting and analyzing wireless signals, it may seem shocking to the human mind that does not accept to believe anything behind its comprehension of the data of the world around it, but it It remains a possibility in the future in light of the acceleration of super-intelligent technology discoveries, and the emergence of the term Internet of Bodies (IoB) or the physical body, which is related to the use of the human body as the latest data platform. This dimension and field.
When the Internet of Things (IoT) connects to your body, the result is the Internet of Things (IoB), which is an extension of the Internet of Things, and basically connects the human body to a network through devices that are swallowed, implanted, or connected to the body in some way, and once connected, data can be exchanged, and the body can be monitored. And the device and its remote control and become part of the ecosystem of the Internet of Things, which will enable us to collect data about the functions of the human body and change it, and perhaps interact with it, as the hierarchy of devices that make up the ecosystems of that system is divided into three generations: including the first generation outside the body and technologies that are worn Or connect them physically to the human body, and the second generation is inside the human body, where these devices are placed internally in the human body, and they may be ingested or surgically implanted.
As for the third generation, it is a stage in which electronic devices can be fully integrated with the human body, and work together while maintaining a remote connection in real time.
There is no doubt that there are dangers that will accompany this technology, which will inevitably be associated with humans in the near future.
We need to think about the privacy and security implications for the devices that live with us and in us, but the breakthrough benefits of this technology will be hard to ignore or not embrace, such as a person having an artificial pancreas that can help diabetics control their blood sugar levels, or brain chips that allow amputees to by controlling their prosthetic limbs; Smart stents that can monitor blood clotting by themselves, biochips that enable a person to restore hearing, or an eye implant that makes vision possible for a blind person.
The challenge here lies in setting laws, legislation and basic rules for data transparency, protecting privacy, building security and safety standards from the outset, and developing solutions to reduce the gap between individuals, societies and countries who own the price of these technologies and those who do not, and thus form the concept of a superhuman who will seize jobs, skills and wealth. And the list goes on with questions that have no ethical solutions.
Some people and communities will be able to make the most of this technological knowledge revolution, such as receiving digital chemotherapy that combines chemotherapy drugs with a sensor that captures, records and shares information with healthcare providers regarding drug dose and time, as well as other data on rest, activity, heart rate and more. …and others are technically isolated against brain-computer interface (BCI) for example, where a person’s brain is integrated with an external device for real-time monitoring and control, and assists in restoring functionality to individuals with disabilities using brain signals rather than traditional neuromuscular pathways, but Not all use cases for the Internet of Bodies are for health care reasons, bioengineering companies are developing technologies where the body is a mobile bank and a biological wallet, and other really amazing things like computers getting so small they can be embedded under the skin or implanted inside the body. , or integrated into contact lenses and fixed above the eyeball.
* Emirati writer and researcher on peaceful coexistence and intercultural dialogue.
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