This technology may sound straight from a science fiction movie except that it is real. Classic science fiction writers like Issac Asimov, HG Wells, Jules Verne once predicted that our consciousness may one day become a part of Artificial Intelligence. That day isn’t far off as humans are slowly using technology to embrace our body with physics of the impossibility.
A UK-based firm, BioTeq, offers microchip implants to businesses and individuals. The mircrochips are implanted in the flesh between the thumb and forefinger. It enables a person to open doors, access their office or start their cars with just a wave of their hand. The microchip is also capable of storing medical data.
Currently, the firm has fitted about 150 implants in the UK.
Likewise, a Swedish company, Biohax, provides human chip implants the size of a rice grain. The company was reported to be in discussions with many British legal and financial firms about fitting their employees with microchips.
Founder and owner of BioTeq, Steven Northam, revealed that most of its 150 implants have been for individuals. He added that financial and engineering firms have also had the chips implanted in their staff. Northam himself uses the microchips. His firm has also implanted employees of a bank testing the technology. The implants have been shipped to countries like Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China. They cost between £70 and £260 per person.
Founder of Biohax, Jowan Österlund, believes that his microchips could help financial and legal firms improve security. He is confident that as such companies use sensitive documents, the chips would let them to set restrictions for whoever uses them.
Yet skepticism has boiled around this technology as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) which represents over 1.90 lakh UK businesses, voiced its concern. “While technology is changing the way we work, this makes for distinctly uncomfortable reading,” said a CBI spokesperson. “Firms should be concentrating on rather more immediate priorities and focusing on engaging their employees,” said the spokesperson.