Microchip implants are cylindrical bar codes imbedded under the skin, which are used to transmit a signal when scanned. Historically, the microchips were used for things like organizing products and warehouses or locating livestock and stray pets. Now, the technology is becoming experimented with human use. Jowan Osterlund, owner of the microchip implant company, Biohax, has personally implanted hundreds of people. He says the procedure is a way to intergrade biology and technology, allowing recipients to use the implants to do things like riding the train, paying for gym memberships and accessing work spaces. His company is also looking to eliminate the need for other mundane things like passwords, keys, tickets and access cards. Another tech company in the microchip business is Dsruptive, owned by Hannes Sjoblad. His company is looking to revolutionize the way technology interacts and supports people who track their health. For example, the chip could be used to collect health data and provide blood oxygenation levels, temperature, heart rate and breathing patterns. While Osterlund and Sjoblad are optimistic about the use of microchipping, others are skeptical about its implications. Urs Gasser, executive director at Harvard’s Center for Internet and Society, says microchipping raises different legal and ethical questions, as it could be used to control workers. Ifeoma Ajunwa, professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University, added that microchips raise concerns with increased worker surveillance. However, Osterlund and Sjoblad push back, arguing the fear associated with microchips is less rooted in privacy concerns and more just an irrational prejudice against implants.
