In class on Thursday we discussed the idea of implanting a brain chip that will increase your intelligence. After some research on this topic, I have discovered that society is much closer to implementing this than I originally thought. While there are many opinions on whether or not individuals would actually want this or not, my research focused on a chip called the cranial chip and the actual implementation of the chip and how it works.
The cranial chip is a chip physically implanted into the brain. Data is then streamed into the brain at night and then processed while the person is asleep. The idea behind this is that the chip does not interfere with brain function while the user is awake. In the morning, the implanted person will wake up not noticing any sleep loss but will now have all the information that was streamed in the night before.
One aspect about a brain chip that I had not thought of before is the idea of training a user with a chip. I suppose in my thoughts about the chip I neglected the thought that a human may actually have to be trained to use the chip. In my naivety I assumed the chip would be implanted and operate with no additional work. This however is entirely untrue. As of now, the way this cranial chip works is with an intensive training session along with routine training throughout the users life. This training includes any maintenance or updates the chip may need.
While the ethical dilemma of a brain chip still exists , the development of the brain chip has no intention of waiting for that dilemma to be solved. Research and development is ongoing in such chips as the cranial chip as well as many others. It is up to the future to designate how,when, and if these chips will be entered into society.
