Page 85 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

what garments to buy depending on their mood. This information was gathered using a headset that read people’s thoughts in real time.For the time being, these brainwave headsets are only capable of reading our minds; in the near future they will no doubt be able to delve more deeply and reveal to the world our ideas and fantasies, but... will we be capable of writing new thoughts and ideas in our brains? https:// www.diygenius.com/hacking-your-brain-waves/Biohacking and Augmented HumanOne of the trends in man-machine integration that we will soon see is the concept of “Aug- mented Human” or Human 2.0. It marks the next step in human evolution driven by technology. It involves not only tting our brains with biochips but going one step further and incorporating chemistry and genetic modi cation.This type of technology will make it possible to enhance human capabilities and skills more than we had ever imagined. It is a combination of what is known as Human Enhancement Tech- nologies (HET). They entail biohacking, whereby physical or chemical components are embedded in the organism, and also Accelerated Learning, techniques for quickly learning new knowledge and skills, based strongly on virtual reality (VR) or transhumanisation; all this will involve implants or visible and high-impact modi cations to our organisms. This technology will enable us touse exoskeletons to move large objects or apply CRISPR 2.0, scissors that allow us to easily cut, remove and add DNA sequences...The so-called “Internet of Senses” is a technol- ogy that enables users to experience di erent sensations with external stimuli or enhance them by means of sensors. For example Victor Ma- teevitsi of the University of Illinois has created a suit called SpiderSense. It is capable of sending and receiving ultrasounds in a similar way to a high-frequency radar. This allows it to “see” and“feel” objects around it, even in total darkness (http://www.vmateevitsi.com/wp-content/ uploads/2015/03/mateevitsi.spidersense.pdf).Will the Internet of Things convert us into superhumans?This movement has many detractors, but we also nd cases such as the following: not long ago an “adventurous” biohacker injected into his eyes a combination of chemicals containing Chlorin e6, a compound found only in a few deep-sea sh. The result was that he managed to see in the dark for thirty minutes.One of the trends in man-machine integration that we will soon see is the concept of “Augmented Human” or Human 2.0. as it marks the next step in human evolution driven by technology.Now, imagine that we are headhunters for a security company or airline. Which of the two applicants would we hire if both possess the same skills: someone able to see in the dark or a run-of-the mill candidate? Perhaps we will have no choice but evolve so as not get left behind.Ethical barriersHowever, transhumanism and biohacking challenge our ethics and our values. Improving body and mind through technology and science raises a number of questions that touch on the very essence of what it means to be human. It is obvious that helping individuals overcome challenges is a positive aspect of technology and the Internet of Things. But we are entering ambiguous territory when we begin to consider these advances’ potential not in the eld of paliative improvements but to create “super- powers” which can make a signi cant di erence between human beings.What will we be like when we “evolve” through technology? We are about to nd out.AC/E DIGITAL CULTURE ANNUAL REPORT 201785Smart culture. Analysis of digital trends