What does human enhancement mean?
Human enhancement may sound like a phrase from a science fiction movie but it is in fact very present in our lives. So what actually does human enhancement mean? According to Science Direct human enhancement (also known as human augmentation) is “a field of research that aims to enhance human abilities through medicine or technology”. It is believed that HE can be divided into three categories:
- Augmented senses
- Augmented action
- Augmented cognition
Is it a new technology?
Human enhancement might sound like one of those new technologies that have not been entirely discovered yet but the truth is that we have been using HE for many years. As stated in Science Direct, HE “has historically been achieved by consuming chemical substances that improve a selected ability or by installing implants which require medical operation. […] Augmented abilities have also been achieved with external tools, such as eyeglasses, binoculars, microscopes or highly sensitive microphones”.
Examples of human augmentation:
As I mentioned previously, human enhancement has been present in our lives for some time. In this part, I would like to share some examples of HE that are being used or worked on today.
- The first example of HE is gene editing. According to Medium “In a study conducted in august, 2017, scientists […] were able to edit a dangerous mutation from genes in human embryos. The new technique they developed involved inserting gene-editing components together with sperm in the human embryo before any fertilization took place”.
As stated in Medium “The produced results from using this new technique provided that 42 of 58 tested embryos had all of their cells repaired from the damaging gene, which causes a common heart condition that could lead to sudden death latter on in life”.
What it means is that this technology could make future generations healthier by eliminating dangerous genes as well as stopping them from transmitting them onto the next generations.
- Another example of HE are smart contact lenses. According to Big Think, “both Sony and Samsung have patented smart contact lens technology that can record video by blinking. The augmented reality company Magic Leap is also working on a smart contact lens, in tandem with its much anticipated new augmented reality headset”. So what will smart lenses do? Other sources claim that they will be able to ”would help diabetics by measuring the glucose levels in tears” (Medium) and even “record video and let you control your phone just by blinking” (The Telegraph).
What is the future of HE?
As stated in Science Direct “In the past, humans had to adapt to computers. In the future, computers will adapt to humans”.
In the future, HE will be even more developed which might bring some issues. After all, it is hard to predict which way will, for example, gene editing go.
References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581919300576
- https://medium.com/@jasonfoster_19698/human-augmentation-its-potential-to-revolutionize-the-human-race-ef93d1642af7
- https://bigthink.com/10-human-body-modifications-you-can-expect-in-the-next-decade
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/08/06/samsung-patents-smart-contact-lenses-record-video-let-control/
- https://medium.com/omnidya-ai/wearables-for-the-eye-smart-contact-lenses-bc8bda3be83
In spite of many ethical issues yet to discuss, this idea raises in me a very complex outlook on the future connection between technology and humans. With Musk’s new concept of Neuralink shaping its path in the industry, let’s give above subject a bit of trust and see what can come up. Maybe in the future, we will break the technological recipe for greek gods’ ambrosia with a positive attitude.