I got my first microchip implant: Here’s why I did it
Last month, I had a microchip implanted into my hand alongside the world-famous robot, my friend Sophia. Before traveling to Philadelphia for this, I was joined by my friends for a party in my Chelsea apartment, inspired by the “chips and beers” microchip parties the Swedes have. Except, rather than drink beer, we toasted with a longevity drink, Novos.
I’ve been wanting an RFID and NFC microchip from Dangerous Things for a while. For me, it provides simple, yet much-needed convenience in my life – I can unlock my house and car, and you can add my contact details by scanning my hand (I’m the kind of person who spins many plates and remembers everything… except her keys).
In August, I’m going to travel back to Philadelphia and get a payment chip, eliminating the need for Apple Pay. The payment side of microchips is very “underground” right now and still in the testing phase by the microchip community. The tech already exists, although I’ve heard from the community that the likes of Visa and Mastercard are reluctant to roll them out due to fears of people hacking into them. As far as I’m concerned, a plastic card that you can carry and lose is far less secure. I’ll be happy to contribute to the experimentation and testing phase and see if we can influence some change in how they are viewed.
For me, not only is having a microchip convenient, but it’s also an interesting conversation starter when I hold out my hand for you to scan it.
Some have praised my initiative to try a piece of technology that’s still quite novel, while others criticized and outright attacked me (on Instagram, I’ve been called the “devil,” and some suggested I was getting “The Mark of the Beast”, which I also found very unsettling).
Others didn’t see the point of it or think it was worth it.
I believe microchip implants are at the start of what will be a mainstream future trend, one with many potential applications.
Let’s investigate.
Neither RFID tech nor microchips are new
To be clear, neither RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology nor microchip implants are new. The former, in its modern iteration, has been around since the 80s, and the latter first hit the news in 1998, when experiments with an RFID microchip were carried out by British scientist Kevin Warwick (also known as the first British cyborg -- I have an interview with him coming out soon!). His implant allowed him to do things like open doors and switch on lights around the University campus.
Named Project Cyborg, Kevin's experiments later extended to more sophisticated implants, including a 100-electrode chip implanted into the nerve fibres of his arm in 2002 that transmitted signals from his wrist to a computer.
The technology behind RFID, at least in its earliest iterations, has existed since the 20th century, all the way back to World War 2.
Scottish physicist Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt developed the first system to identify friends or foes (IFF), allowing Britain to know if planes were friends or enemies. Thanks to this system, the British placed a transmitter on each of their planes. These transmitters received the signals from the radar, and afterwards, they broadcasted a signal back which identified them as a friend.
The technology would evolve past its WWII origins, and would be used to identify hazardous material, counter theft, and support industrial processes.
Eventually, it would make it into most facets of our lives, used in smartphones, warehouses, retail stores, our pets, and even… human microchip implants.
Taking a leap of faith
I have always been a curious person by nature. I launched my first business in my mid-twenties in a niche and new field: executive branding. Back then, I could see how the future of media was changing, and I knew it was only a matter of time before more traditional CEOs also valued personal publicity and having social media influence.
Ever since, my curiosity has led me to explore new avenues: from spending 48 hours in the metaverse, to designing digital fashion for avatars, to the present day where I am exploring the future through my reality series Cyborg to Be.
Interviewing so many brilliant minds and exceptional individuals over the past year, I have come to a conclusion: By engaging with emerging technologies, we can shape the world for future generations. We owe it to them to build a better future.
As report after report has shown, our ancestors have left us with a world that’s worse for wear, filled with injustice, discrimination, and economic inequality. But technology has also brought a lot of GOOD. (Data shows our world is a lot better than what it used to be, overall. In the 1800s, for instance, our existence was short and hard. Dying of a tooth cavity or the flu was not out of the norm).
We can step up and play a proactive, rather than passive, role; by using science, medical and technological advancements, we can guide and shape a better future for our world.
“I volunteer as tribute”
For me, it isn’t just about the chip (although I think they are pretty cool). It’s also about the stance I’m taking. We should ALL be interested in future technologies, so that our future is built with us in mind and without bias.
If getting my hand slightly cut and experiencing some minor pain (it felt no worse than getting a piercing) gets more eyeballs and conversation happening about the future started, I’m all for it.
A community of biohackers
After I announced I was getting a microchip, many biohackers reached out to me to share some kind words of encouragement. To my surprise, there is a full-on microchipping community.
Many were grateful that someone new was bringing attention to this space, and demystifying microchips and the stigma around them. They had become accustomed to being misunderstood and mislabeled. For many in the community, microchips are a tool of convenience; they can go surfing without their keys, or pay without any need for their credit card or phone. For others, it’s to go beyond the boundaries of simply ‘being human’.
“The Devil’s work”
I’ve been called many names in my lifetime (Ginger Ninja was a good one growing up!), as I’m sure we all have, but being compared to a “troll doll” that’s doing “the devil’s work” on Instagram is certainly new.
Many people are intimidated by new technology, I understand that. At one point, the radio, television, cars, and computers (even books!) all seemed otherworldly or unnatural.
Pacemakers were once considered ‘inhumane’.
But we need to remember that over time, societal perceptions of what is deemed ‘crazy’ or outlandish evolve alongside technological and societal advancements. What may seem far-fetched today—such as getting a microchip—could become commonplace and mainstream tomorrow.
The potential use cases of microchips
We have merely scratched the surface in terms of what we can do with a microchip.
As I mentioned, today, my implant allows me to unlock my car and home, and share my social media info with others. Nifty, but certainly limited still.
While the technology is not there yet, can you imagine a world where health microchips become a reality? Think WHOOP bands or Oura rings, but inside your flesh and monitoring more than just your skin temperature and footsteps. Ideally, a health chip would be able to monitor your blood content, like your red and white blood cell count, sugar levels, organ health, fatty deposits in your arteries, and more, giving you 24/7 real-time insights and monitoring of your body. If anything is out of order, the chip would alert both you and your doctor, potentially preempting a certain disease or sickness and possibly even saving your life. There are already reports of smartwatches saving the lives of people - imagine how much more could be done with health chips. It could herald a new era in preventative medicine.
Payment chips, as mentioned earlier, already exist, though remain quite underground, and most of those implanting them, like UK company Walletmor, are not affiliated with global payment giants like VISA and Mastercard. The technology’s novelty, as well as its penchant for controversy, is most likely keeping these corporations away.
What about the possibility of GPS-tracking microchips, like those featured in a particularly unsettling episode of Black Mirror where a child is implanted with such a chip that allows her mother to track her in real-time (but believe it or not, there is already real-life demand for this and people saying they are doing this on Reddit). While this technology could have positive use cases, especially when 370,000+ children go missing in the USA, every year…) it also has moral implications.
Perhaps we will all end up with brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). After more clinical studies have been done, and BCIs are proven safe, regulated and have decent use cases, I will probably get one. BCIs are undoubtedly one of the most ambitious innovations of our time, and will have MASSIVE implications on our future: telepathy, controlling computers with our minds, and unlocking our cars with a simple thought…
Today, BCI technology is seen as a medical lifeline for patients with debilitating motor disabilities, such as those with late-stage ALS, or people who are quadriplegic. (Check out my recently released, in-person video interview with the first recipient of the Neuralink, Noland Arbaugh).
Exploring and shaping tomorrow, today
If you take anything from my experience, let it be a curiosity and willingness to try innovations and technology while being vigilant of ethical considerations.
What’s certain is that humanity’s future is incredibly complex, nuanced, and creative. We are a species of great potential, and by increasingly merging with technology - our creation - we can potentially reach new heights.
