Medicine progresses very quickly. Advances in robotics, implants and other assistive technologies do not cease to please us. If we, the people, will eventually evolve into cyborgs? How society will change in this case? A cyborg is a person that merged with machines in some way hybrid. Once this statement has become a cliché of science fiction, but now enters the reality as a medical tool. From implantation to robotics, we are witnessing the emergence of a variety of technologies that are designed to treat and ease the pain, transforming people, technically, cyborgs.
It may seem excessive to use the term “cyborg” when discussing, for example, new versions of prostheses. But carbon fiber and titanium prostheses do not surprise anyone, and most artificial limbs are fully functional. Prosthetics are constantly progressing, engineers create, even those that can be controlled by the power of thought — and to be touched.
Artificial limbs like “blades” that are used by Paralympic athletes, so advanced that some are wondering not if they provide advantages compared to organic limbs. One Swedish company is introducing chips to their employees, so that they could open the door a wave of the hand, not the key. Elon Musk believes that his neural lace will make people smarter. Many are experimenting with the possibilities of the fusion of humanity and machines.
Obviously, it would need to discuss the future development of such technologies, because the speed of development of robotics and artificial intelligence is growing. It seems obvious that the future of assistive technology to not only compensate for the missing qualities and abilities of people, but elevate them to a new physiological level. Changes will affect the social, political and economic spheres.
Once we officially cross this tipping point, the technologies that we created to help people with complications and disabilities, will begin to withdraw the ability of people outside the biologically possible, and we are faced with moral and practical problems. Many believe that this will be “the next step in the evolution of mankind.” And if we ever decide to colonize Mars, and even the Solar system, this evolution may be necessary. Whatever the moral and ethical boundaries that at some stage we will have become cyborgs.
Therefore, most likely, the day will come and we’ll become. Will the cyborgs have some rights and to obey the same laws with the usual biological citizens? Will the cyborgs vulnerable to hacking and manipulation? Will change war forever with the possible introduction of military exoskeletons? This list goes on and on. And although we are still far from ubiquitous exoskeletons, it’s time to start preparing for this day.
The next stage of human evolution may be a cyborg
Ilya Hel