What is possible with a chip the size of a grain of rice? If the Swedish firm Epicenter is any indication, then it can turn normal people into cyborgs. Although not able to some of the more amazing feats usually associated with cyborgs, 150 of the workers in Sweden and a few more across the globe are able to buy snacks, open doors, and access printing machines with just a wave of their hands, and this all comes at the cost of a small injection. Every so often, the company offers the injections to their employees, so there is no mandate forcing workers to have the chip.
This is all made possible with radio-frequency identification (RFI). This form of technology is wildly used to identify animals and pets, manage mobile equipment in hospitals, and even replace barcodes in libraries. When within a certain range, the RFI chip sends information to the other device and the device performs the desired action.
However, this is the first time that this technology has been used to track and interface with humans, and some are concerned that this step has opened up Pandora’s box. With the chips in constant use, bosses will be able to keep track of employee hours, breaks, purchases, and does all of this without the advantage of a swipe card or smartphone: being able to get rid of it easily. Others, like Ben Libberton from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute, say that hackers will be able to access all of this information with ease.
Still, the cyborgs at Epicenter do not seem at all concerned by the new technology. One worker compares the chips to pacemakers that keep hearts beating. Another calls the technology convenient and not much of an issue. Still, others are just excited to be part of something new and interesting.
This is all made possible with radio-frequency identification (RFI). This form of technology is wildly used to identify animals and pets, manage mobile equipment in hospitals, and even replace barcodes in libraries. When within a certain range, the RFI chip sends information to the other device and the device performs the desired action.
However, this is the first time that this technology has been used to track and interface with humans, and some are concerned that this step has opened up Pandora’s box. With the chips in constant use, bosses will be able to keep track of employee hours, breaks, purchases, and does all of this without the advantage of a swipe card or smartphone: being able to get rid of it easily. Others, like Ben Libberton from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute, say that hackers will be able to access all of this information with ease.
Still, the cyborgs at Epicenter do not seem at all concerned by the new technology. One worker compares the chips to pacemakers that keep hearts beating. Another calls the technology convenient and not much of an issue. Still, others are just excited to be part of something new and interesting.
