Stay curious about the technology

During the Nerdland Festival – of which she is the organizer – renowned scientist Hetty Helsmoortel had a chip implanted subcutaneously in her hand in front of a live audience. Apparently, it was the result of a bet she lost with TV broadcaster Lieven Scheire. “A cyborg is the result of the physical fusion between man and machine,” says Hetty. “So that makes me one of them too.”

For the time being, the chip offers little more than a few, mostly practical benefits. To pay contactless, Hetty Helsmoortel just holds her hand next to the payment terminal. And she does not need a key to open her front door. The chip in her hand is enough. Gimmick? Not at all. “For people who lose their fine motor skills – due to Parkinson’s, for example – these can be very useful applications.”

Our jobs won’t be taken over by AI but by someone who works with AI.

Hetty Helsmoortel

A chip in the brain

Medical science is making rapid progress, especially through the combination of new technology and implants. “Think of a bionic eye: a pair of glasses with cameras sends images to a chip that is implanted in the brain of a visually impaired person, who can then see again.” By making a connection with the brain, we are gradually getting into the realm of the cyborgs that we previously only knew about in science fiction. “There are already very fascinating examples of this,” Hetty continues.

She talks about a man who was paralyzed but can now walk again. A chip captures the command with which he uses his brain to control his leg muscles, in order to bring that signal via Bluetooth to the electrodes in his muscles. Another example is that of a woman who lost her speech. A chip in her brain captures what she wants to say, after which a voice computer pronounces the words. Icing on the cake: this is done with her own voice, reconstructed by AI on the basis of old recordings.

Hetty Helsmoortel

No room for doom-mongers

“Every year, researchers register more than 200,000 patents for new medical implants,” Hetty says. “The number of cyborgs will therefore increase rapidly in the near future.” Of course, this raises questions about privacy and security, but we do not necessarily have to be afraid of it. “I see this evolution as a positive thing. With that sort of technology, we can complement and even transcend our human body.

So, we’d better embrace it.” But what do we do about the classic doom-mongering, for example that AI will take away our jobs? “Our jobs won’t be taken over by AI but by someone who works with AI.”

Open technology

That is why it is very important to put it all into the right context, if only to avoid a two-speed society: ⁠those with a chip, so to speak, and those without. “We should open up the technology,” says Hetty, “so that everyone can use it, including, for example, people in developing countries.” It is a familiar refrain in the world of technology.

At the same time, we need to remain realistic. “It’s not as if technology can suddenly solve everything. We shouldn’t expect too much of it. In the research world, it continues to be a matter of making progress on the basis of small new steps.” It is not always going to be spectacular, which can be a pitfall. “It’s important to continue to invest in that basic research. This also requires people and resources.”

Challenge for education

With applications like ChatGPT, many people are now becoming acquainted with a new form of technology. It is happening in education as well. “I really think that’s a blessing,” Hetty says. “Of course, young people use ChatGPT for their homework. Perhaps that’s the perfect reason to conduct a review of education.” In the same way, companies can question the use of new technology. “It all comes down to looking at what’s possible. Staying curious, that’s what it's all about.”