The age of the bio-mechatronically enhanced organic organism has arrived.
We have already been able to manipulate animals to do what we want, and humans can control computers with their thoughts. The potential for cyborgs, which can effortlessly download and process large amounts of information, is limitless. Is the merger of man and machine, or the cyborg, the future of humanity? Can we even know ourselves as humans at that point?
Technology used to be a tool to improve our lives or compensate for our limitations. Still, by the end of the 20th century, it had become ubiquitous and even incorporated into our bodies. While technology used to evolve alongside humanity, it now seems to be surpassing us.
Have humans and machines…merged?
What are Cyborgs?
"Cyborg" refers to an organism that has improved or restored functions due to the integration of artificial components or technology, such as prostheses, implants, or wearable devices. These technologies can also facilitate collective intelligence. The term "augmented human" may be used in a similar context. It's important to note that cyborgs can be any type of organism, not just mammals like humans. It's also worth noting that the term "cyborg" should not be confused with bionics, bio-robotics, or androids.
As far back as 1998, Professor Kevin Warwick began attempting to merge himself with machines by having a tiny radio transmitter implanted into his body. He aimed to become the world's first cyborg. For 90 days, the transmitter was connected to his university's computer network, allowing the computer to track him anywhere within the cybernetics lab. Warwick's profession involves developing robots that can only perform tasks based on the information input. However, he has now taken things a step further by having a microchip implanted in his arm that is directly connected to his nervous system.
The chip has 100 electrodes plugged into his wrist's main nerve, which carries electrical impulses from the brain to the fingers. The implant picks up and measures these impulses, and the signals that move the hand can be transmitted to control various other devices. For example, Warwick can use the signals to make his wheelchair move.
The professor believes that the merging of man and machine is not only possible and desirable but inevitable. While we can't make robots human, we can make them part of us. For him, this is the only way to advance artificial intelligence and keep it under control. However, he also warns that soon we will follow the lead of computers rather than the other way around.
As humans, we have the possibility of avoiding a world dominated by intelligent machines. We do so by upgrading ourselves with implants that link our brains to the intellectual capabilities of machines. This would allow us to become cyborgs—a combination of humans and machines. Rather than being overtaken by intelligent machines, we can become one with them. If we can't beat them, we can join them.
Kevin Warwick's vision requires a seamless connection between the nervous system and electronic devices, known as a neurochip. This would allow for a smooth integration of human and machine capabilities. Neuroscientist Peter Fromherz from the Max Planck Institute is one of the leading researchers in the field of linking nerve cells to computer circuits. However, there is a significant hurdle to overcome, as computers operate differently than the human brain.
Computers are made up of switches and transistors, and they perform calculations using a sequential set of zeros and ones. However, we don't yet fully understand how the brain functions. The brain likely uses a different method, as the ion channels within brain cells are at least a million times slower than the components of a computer. It would be impossible to build a computer with such slow components, so the brain must operate differently, potentially through some parallel dynamic that we don't yet understand.
It all began with Luigi Galvani's experiment in 1787, in which he delivered an electric shock to a frog's legs and caused its muscles to contract. This same phenomenon is still used to stimulate muscle contractions and save lives. We now also know that the brain's language is based on bioelectric impulses, with millions of nerve cells communicating in fractions of a second. Each of us has 100 billion active nerve cells in our brains, which, if stretched out, would reach a distance of 300,000 kilometers from the Earth to the Moon. It is not surprising that there are still mysteries to be solved about the brain.
To be aware of its surroundings, the brain relies on specialized inputs of electrical information from our senses. Our hearing, in particular, is a key receptor that helps us locate ourselves in our environment. But what would happen if we lost this source of information? Could a neurochip replace or even improve the function of our inner ear?
Scientists have already made progress in this direction by developing inner ear implants. At the Hannover Medical School, experts can restore the hearing of 250 people every year. The sense of hearing is a complex system that involves the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The outer ear receives sound waves and channels them to the eardrum in the middle ear. The waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, and the hairs in the spiral of the inner ear convert these vibrations into electrical currents. Nerves carry the impulses to the brain, where hearing occurs.
Deafness can have many causes, including prolonged exposure to loud music. Every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from complete deafness due to factors such as birth, illness, or the side effects of medication. The first step in treating deafness is to determine what the patient can hear and to test their balance, as the hairs in the inner ear react to any deviation from the vertical position. Inner ear implant surgery has achieved impressive results, with 80% of children with implants going on to attend regular schools. Children born deaf typically receive two implants, as the parts of the brain responsible for hearing need intensive and early stimulation to learn to understand sounds. Adults, on the other hand, may not have the same success with implants. If they were born deaf, it may be too late to educate their brains to process sounds. And if they lost their hearing later in life, the new sounds may be very different from what they are used to.
The positioning of the inner ear implant is critical for its success in helping the brain learn to hear. The surgery to implant the device is delicate and invasive, but it is necessary for the brain to be able to process sounds. The technology for inner ear implants has advanced significantly, and these high-tech devices are now a common part of modern medicine. The system consists of two parts: an internal cochlear implant and an external speech processor. A small microphone picks up sounds and sends them to the speech processor, which converts them into signals transmitted to the individual receivers on the implant. The electrodes on the implant stimulate nerve fibers in the spiral of the inner ear, allowing hearing to occur.
The technology for inner ear implants has been in development for more than 30 years, and the quality of the devices has steadily improved over time. However, it is important to note that the current implants only have 22 electrodes that are placed next to the cells of the inner ear, but there is no permanent physical contact between them. This means that the implant is still limited in its ability to replicate the function of the natural inner ear fully.
Researchers at Hannover Medical School are working towards the next step in inner ear implant technology: a genuine neurochip that would involve the merging of human and machine. They are attempting to grow thin layers of human nerve cells around electrodes to form permanent connections. If successful, this would result in a genuine neurochip. While the initial results of this approach are promising, the development of super hearing through this method is still a long way off. Similarly, progress in creating artificial vision through implants is also limited at this time.
Sherry Brown was blinded in a car crash at 16, but she was given hope of regaining her vision when she heard about an artificial vision system, a treatment that has been successfully administered to only 16 people worldwide. The system involves the implantation of two electrodes on the brain's surface.
Sherry has been able to see again after several months of using it. Unlike the cochlear implant, which helps the brain process sound, the artificial vision system is designed to help the brain process visual information. While our eyes provide us with a vast amount of detailed information, it is a difficult task for technology to replicate this function. However, Sherry's experience with the artificial vision system shows that progress is being made in this field.
This system allows her to see again by stimulating the surface of her brain directly. The process involves wearing special glasses with a camera that sends digital signals to a computer around her waist. A cable then carries these signals to the implant in the sight centers of Sherry's brain, where she is able to see. This process must be repeated for an hour daily to maintain her vision.
The electrodes in the artificial vision system are connected to the sight centers in both lobes of the brain, and the electric signals they generate stimulate the brain to perceive points of light that eventually resolve into shapes. Dr. Kenneth Smith is the only American surgeon who implanted the artificial vision system, but the procedure is not allowed in the United States. As a result, he travels to Portugal to operate. He regularly checks on the electrodes in Sherry's head to ensure no risk of infection, as the direct connection to the brain means there is a constant risk of infection.
The artificial vision system surgery can be expensive, often reaching $100,000.
While the artificial vision system has made significant progress in helping individuals with visual impairments see again, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. One of the main issues is the delay between the input of visual information and its perception by the brain. This delay is caused by the fact that computers cannot process information as quickly as the human brain. In contrast, the human visual system works by transforming light waves into bioelectric impulses that are carried to the sight centers at the back of the brain by the optic nerve. It is the brain that sees and recognizes what we see, and it does this by combining different kinds of information, including shape, color, and context, into a single image. The brain also incorporates memories and knowledge with the new input to create a complete impression of the visual environment.
Once the object being viewed, such as the Eiffel Tower, is recognized, the person experiencing it will feel a surge of recognition as further associations with the image are instantly added. It is only at this point that the picture is complete by these standards. While Sherry's restored vision is crude, it is still successful as she can form shapes from the camera's data. However, it takes a few seconds for her brain to process the information, and the resulting image is not as detailed or accurate as normal human vision. Even something as simple as a chair may appear crude and incomplete to her, with the edges not fully defined.
The development of computer-aided "super eyes" is still some way off. In the 1960s, the Pentagon conducted experiments using electrical stimulation of the brain to control the actions of animals. Scientists implanted electrodes into the brain of a bull and sent radio signals to control it, using a remote control device to stop it from attacking. While the bull was immobilized, the CIA believed it could operate animals by remote control and even extend this to people. These experiments sparked controversy and raised ethical concerns about using brain implants to manipulate behavior.
Today, American scientists are using brain implants to give rats instructions via computers, to use the animals in the future for tasks such as clearing mines or finding people trapped in collapsed buildings. While a Robo-rat would do exactly as it was told by its operator, even if it ran counter to its instincts, there are concerns about the potential misuse of this technology. Neuroethics committees around the world are worried that brain implants could be used to manipulate behavior in unethical ways. It is important to consider the ethical implications of such technology carefully and to ensure that it is used responsibly.