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Reuters / Stringer
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After getting a rice grain sized
microchip inserted into her hand for unlocking her office door, a Swedish woman
can stop worrying about losing her work keys.
While attending SIME 2014, a
conference on digitalism, the future and the internet in Stockholm, 25-year-old
Emilott Latnz volunteered for the unusual procedure, offered for free to
willing techies. The implant, which is programmed to open Lantz office door, is
designed to stay put for the rest of Lantz’s life.
Though not exactly widespread, human
implants have been gaining popularity in Sweden’s biotech community. Backers of
the procedure include a group of vocal transhumanists, a movement which
explores ways in which humans can go beyond the limitations of the body using
developments in science and technology.
"This has
very much been an underground phenomenon up until now, but there are perhaps a
100 people with the chip in Sweden," Hannes Sjöblad
of BioNyfiken, a Swedish biohacking group which has been hosting “implant
parties” in Stockholm over the last few months, was quoted as saying in the
Local.
In the last month alone, 50 people
involved with the group underwent the procedure.
Similar technology has been used for
key tags or pet tracking chips in the past, however, inserting the chip into
humans is a novel development that seems to be catching on - at least in some
circles.
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Screenshot from
www.meetup.com
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Earlier this month, the founder of
Amsterdam-based bitcoin ATM firm, Mr Bitcoin, Martijn Wismeijer had a tiny chip
embedded in between the muscle and skin tissue in his hand in order to keep his
digital currency safe, while also providing an in-body alarm clock and built in
set of keys.
"I don't
feel as though this is the future. This is the present” the Lantz told the
Local. “To me, it's weird that we haven't seen this sooner." The self-described nerd, captioned a post of her bandaged hand on
Instagram with the hashtags #humanplus and #cyborg among others.
Lantz, who works for IT consultancy
firm, Codemill, is enthusiastic about using her new implant to get into work. “I'm
super stoked to have had this done,” she said “I can't wait for the
property agent to get back to me about letting me into the system so that I can
use my chip instead of my keys to get into the office."
Lantz brushed off the concerns of
wary friends and family, asserting that the technology was reliable and that
people were merely getting touchy because human flesh was involved.
“The technology isn’t new but the subject
becomes sensitive just because it’s in the human body,” she said. “I’m not surprised that people think
it’s a big deal – it’s not that common yet, but I think it will be. We’re
already modifying our bodies, why should this be different?” she added.
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