I've just been reading an Upday article about Neuralink - brain implants founded by Elon Musk (why is it always Musk), now FDA-approved to be trialled in humans. Musk's company sees Neuralink implants as a "Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires".
Aside from all of the issues already surrounding the implants (such as unsafe handling of waste, lithium-operated batteries, potential complications arising from the device itself and animal welfare), my biggest issue is this, which was also mentioned in the article:
"The devices aim to cure a range of conditions including obesity, autism, depression, schizophrenia and paralysis".
I can fully understand the need for a paralysis-curing device and maybe even obesity-related treatment by fully consenting adults.
BUT autism, schizophrenia and depression? Given that all 3 conditions are on a spectrum, where does personality end and the condition even begin? How could the individuals consent?
Call me paranoid, but I feel that this may well be a huge step into creating a homogenous mass of people where any uncomfortable outliers are being programmed to fit in with the rest of society. We're still a while away from that, of course, but Musk himself sees these implants as a way of competing with the threats posed by AI development, which in itself is somewhat ironic, given this context.
So, AIBU to worry about this? I am currently playing Deus Ex, which, perhaps, doesn't exactly help matters 😆