[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":448},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-the-future-of-sex-and-sexuality":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":213,"relatedBooks":357},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":37,"project_category":62,"contact_email_category":65,"yst_prominent_words":66,"class_list":77,"better_featured_image":116,"acf":149,"yoast_meta":158,"_links":160},17353,"2021-02-17T10:00:55","2021-02-17T09:00:55",{"rendered":9},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=17353","2021-02-17T10:52:31","2021-02-17T09:52:31","the-future-of-sex-and-sexuality","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-sex-and-sexuality",{"rendered":17},"The Technological Future Of Sexuality And Sexual Health",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long-distance hugs; virtual reality porn stars; technosexuals living with automated dolls; you might have caught such news snippets online, but you’ll have to get used to these with the technological transformation of sex. Indeed, if technology permeates the entire terrain of human relations, why should sex and sexuality be an exception? \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sextech is already \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fbernardmarr\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F30\u002Ffuture-of-intimacy-sex-bots-virtual-reality-and-smart-sex-toys\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a $30 billion-strong industry,\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but analyses expect it to grow further to \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fglobal-52-7bn-sex-toys-market-outlook-2026---rising-presence-of-online-retailers-drives-the-industry-300973202.html\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$52.7 billion by 2026\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Such devices even made their way into the popular Consumer Electronic Show in \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnet.com\u002Fpictures\u002Fces-2020-all-the-sex-tech-on-display\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.welltodoglobal.com\u002Fsex-tech-takes-centre-stage-at-ces-2021\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> showing that tech and sex are increasingly getting intermingled. But far from Tinder, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techradar.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhackers-used-ransomware-to-lock-up-internet-enabled-chastity-device\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ransomware-prone male chastity devices\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ci>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ouch!\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fi>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) or dystopian scenarios, technology can also augment our sexual health, especially when it comes to stigmatised conditions. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Science fiction creators have already explored such subjects with recent movies and shows. Spike Jonze’s \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ci>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fi>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(2013) told a beautiful love story between Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) and an artificial intelligence (A.I.) operating system. In \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ci>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ex Machina\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fi>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2015), Alicia Vikander takes the character of a robot capable of interpreting and responding to human feelings, while also manipulating people in its environment. The popular HBO show \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ci>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Westworld \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fi>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on the other hand depicted inhumane violence that humans can inflict on robotic companions.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether living out one’s sexual fantasies on robots affects real-life interactions with human partners or whether sex robots threaten the world’s oldest profession are such questions that we must contemplate. This is because advanced technologies will increasingly become commonplace in this area of our lives. As we step into\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the dawn of a new sexual revolution, it’s time to face where technology may take the most intimate area of our lives. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For further insights we also talked with a transhumanist, a sexual health tech startup and a technosexual; because even though this year’s Valentine’s Day seemed like any other, those in coming years might be wildly different.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch1>\u003Cb>Sex and companionship during the pandemic\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The need to limit travel and to introduce lockdowns amidst the pandemic impacted our sexual lives like nothing before. Many had no physical contacts with their partners for months and as a consequence, we had to adapt. As work and shopping increasingly turned to virtual solutions, so did sex. Sexting \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmashable.com\u002Farticle\u002Fsexting-nudes-increase-coronavirus-quarantine\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saw a rise\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as did the \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcybersex-erotic-tech-and-virtual-intimacy-are-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-141769\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sale of sextech\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. More and more people \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmashable.com\u002Farticle\u002Finfluencer-onlyfans-sex-work\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">flocked to OnlyFans\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a streaming platform mostly associated with digital sex work. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffutureofsex.net\u002FFuture_of_Sex_Report.pdf\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Future of Sex report\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more than 25% \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of young people will have had a long-distance sexual experience.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other forms of companionship are also adopting socially-distant features. For “only” £250, you can get a \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcutecircuit.com\u002Fhugshirt\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HugShirt\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This smart shirt \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allows people to send hugs over distance – just like a text message. The wearer can feel the strength, duration, and location of the touch, skin warmth, and the heart rate of the sender.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There’s now also the possibility to send a kiss remotely with the \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fkissenger.lovotics.com\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kissenger from Lovotics\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. By kissing the device’s artificial mouth on the sender end, the receiver device “\u003Cem>provides the convincing properties of the real kiss.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For fans of sci-fi, Gatebox released the \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.otaquest.com\u002Fgatebox-to-begin-shipping-their-mass-production-model\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GTBX-100, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which is an Alexa-like virtual home assistant but with a more “human touch.” It features a cute humanoid hologram that “lives” in a capsule, allowing you to interact with “her” more naturally, and she can even act as the user’s wife.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gatebox - Promotion Movie "OKAERI"_english\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FnkcKaNqfykg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such contraptions might sound strange or even funny, but they can address real issues. Before the pandemic, a “\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fneilhowe\u002F2019\u002F05\u002F03\u002Fmillennials-and-the-loneliness-epidemic\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">loneliness epidemic\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” was already spreading. Japan already had \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.japantimes.co.jp\u002Fnews\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F07\u002Fnational\u002Fjapan-home-541000-young-recluses-survey-finds\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">over half a million people\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> below 40 years of age who hadn’t had interactions with anyone or left their house for at least six months. Solo households’ share amounts to \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbc.ca\u002Fnews\u002Fpolitics\u002Fcensus-2016-marriage-children-families-1.4231163\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">28% in Canada\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Feurostat\u002Fweb\u002Fproducts-eurostat-news\u002F-\u002FDDN-20180706-1\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">34% in the European Union\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loneliness can have \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fneilhowe\u002F2019\u002F05\u002F03\u002Fmillennials-and-the-loneliness-epidemic\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">devastating health consequences\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like depression or even predispose to physical conditions like heart disease. As providing companionship and intimacy online becomes more adopted, such solutions could become more accessible to those wary of physical interactions.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch1>\u003Cb>Destigmatising sexual health\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New technological approaches can also address other sensitive topics like sexual health. The latter is often stigmatised and a taboo subject for many. “\u003Cem>A positive relationship to sex shouldn’t be a privileged thing, it’s a fundamental human right\u003C\u002Fem>,” \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fcareers\u002F2020\u002Fjul\u002F06\u002Fa-journey-to-mindful-sex-how-a-new-app-is-helping-women-find-sexual-wellbeing\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said Billie Quinlan\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, co-founder of Ferly. The latter is a “mindful sex app” for women that, based on one’s profile, suggests appropriate audio guides that vary from encouraging the user to self-touch and explore through challenging negative beliefs about one’s body to discussing gynaecological anatomy. The app even saw \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fcareers\u002F2020\u002Fjul\u002F06\u002Fa-journey-to-mindful-sex-how-a-new-app-is-helping-women-find-sexual-wellbeing\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a 65% increase\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in organic downloads during the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure id=\"attachment_32723\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32723\" style=\"width: 1304px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32723\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-health-app-sextech.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1304\" height=\"732\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-health-app-sextech.jpg 1304w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-health-app-sextech-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-health-app-sextech-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1304px) 100vw, 1304px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32723\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmashable.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Men as well face the pressure of stigma when it comes to their sexual health. “\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cem>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Men’s health has a number of challenges, with everything from hard to access services to embarrassing conditions\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003Cem>,\u003C\u002Fem>” Sam Shah, Chief Medical Strategy Officer of \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numan\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, told us \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002Ftaking-stigma-of-47274999\">in an interview\u003C\u002Fa> on our Patreon channel. This startup focuses on men’s health including conditions such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.numan.com\u002F\">Numan\u003C\u002Fa> also provides personalised supplements to support men through their online platform.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“\u003Cem>Numan takes a different approach, its focus is on being helpful to the people using our services and also trying to take some of the stigma out of conditions such as erectile dysfunction,\u003C\u002Fem>” Shah added. “\u003Cem>We’re doing that using social marketing techniques, using advertising and messaging that people can identify with. By helping men engage with our service we can help solve some immediate problems, but more importantly help to diagnose other underlying conditions such as diabetes or testosterone deficiency.\u003C\u002Fem>”\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Shah also noted that during the pandemic, the number of people using their services and similar ones increased. Hopefully, adoption remains high post-pandemic.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch1>\u003Cb>Robots are coming to your bedroom\u003C\u002Fb>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.geminoid.jp\u002Fen\u002Findex.html\">\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Futurist Dr. Ian Pearson \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffinance.yahoo.com\u002Fnews\u002Frobots-mean-future-sex-163000549.html\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">previously estimated\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a report that by 2050, human-robot sex will become more common than human-human sex.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Is there any chance for that to happen? Considering the state of technology, it might. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies like \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.realdoll.com\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RealDoll\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frealbotix.com\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Realbotix\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> manufacture A.I.-powered \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">adult dolls \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">endowed with facial expressions and conversing abilities. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Realbotix’s iconic sex robot, Harmony, which can cost up to $12,000, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fandreamorris\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F28\u002Ftalk-to-your-sex-robot-about-covid-19\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has even received an update\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that adds a coronavirus conversational feature.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Already, there are people with such robotic partners: the \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so-called technosexuals. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among them is \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FDavecat\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Davecat,\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who lives with his wife and mistress; both synthetic dolls. He told The Medical Futurist that being a technosexual has improved his life, without question. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said he felt isolated and alone, without a place in society. After he began his relationship with his synthetic partners, everything changed. He says he is now happy and that his friends accept his choice. He added his dolls were necessary to start living a better life.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Realbotix Sex Robot, Harmony discusses COVID-19 and depression.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FzuTN3M1BYg0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While such dolls often err in \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fspectrum.ieee.org\u002Fautomaton\u002Frobotics\u002Fhumanoids\u002Fwhat-is-the-uncanny-valley\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the uncanny valley\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or when artificial human depictions look lifelike, but something still feels off; they are still sought after in the world’s oldest profession. From \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scmp.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhong-kong\u002Fsociety\u002Farticle\u002F3078456\u002Ftourists-gone-hong-kong-guest-house-owner-hopes-sex-doll\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hong Kong\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reviewjournal.com\u002Flocal\u002Flocal-las-vegas\u002Fsex-dolls-experience-raises-eyebrows-in-las-vegas-neighborhood-1950537\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Las Vegas\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vox.com\u002Fthe-goods\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F26\u002F18113019\u002Fsex-doll-brothels-legal-sex-work\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sex doll brothels\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are now a reality. Europe’s first sex doll brothel, which opened in Barcelona, attracts \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vice.com\u002Fen\u002Farticle\u002Fxgq54d\u002Finside-europes-first-sex-doll-brothel\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">around 55 clients every week\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Another brothel in the same city even “employs” both artificial and human prostitutes. Some \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.express.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld\u002F779841\u002FSex-robot-brothel-Lumidolls-Barcelona-prostitutes-complain-police\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consider these newcomers as a threat\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the trade\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and has even led to \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcampaignagainstsexrobots.org\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Campaign Against Sex Robots\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The latter was founded in 2015 “\u003Cem>to warn against the dangers of normalising relationships with machines and reinforcing female dehumanisation\u003C\u002Fem>”.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, Davecat told us that he thinks such companions can be adequate for lonely people, those unlucky in romance or not fitting in society. With the ability to not only listen but also respond, they can be a genuine benefit to thousands of individuals, he added.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch1>\u003Cb>VR takes porn into another reality… without ever replacing human contact\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going one step further from artificial dolls, the sex industry is also accommodating virtual, intangible sex workers altogether. Indeed\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the adult entertainment industry has always been on the cutting edge of technological revolution, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so it’s no wonder that industry experts estimate that virtual reality (VR) porn accounts for \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fskarredghost.com\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F12\u002Fstatus-of-augmented-reality-ar-porn\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">50% of the total VR market\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest appeal of VR porn is that it gives the potential feeling of being \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ci>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fi>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the movie thanks to the 360-degree films that allow viewers to move their heads around\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (but not much else)\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, under COVID lockdown, it’s the closest thing to real sex some might experience. That’s why some VR porn companies have experienced as much as \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fadult-entertainment-industry-seeing-rise-in-vr-porn-isolation-2020-3\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30% growth in sales\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since lockdowns began. Even regular, 2D porn saw a boost as \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fadult-entertainment-industry-seeing-rise-in-vr-porn-isolation-2020-3\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PornHub’s surge in traffic\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attests. As \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fnew-york-city-coronavirus-safe-sex-guide-rimming-masturbation-2020-3\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York City health officials put it\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ‘you are your safest sex partner’.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure id=\"attachment_32725\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32725\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32725\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002FVirtual-reality-VR-sex-relationship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002FVirtual-reality-VR-sex-relationship.jpg 950w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002FVirtual-reality-VR-sex-relationship-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002FVirtual-reality-VR-sex-relationship-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmashable.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fwhy-people-use-virtual-reality-porn-what-psychologists-think-2019-11\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psychologists advise\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> indulging in VR porn with moderation. Otherwise, viewers might not satisfy themselves with real experiences and even grow dependent on it. “\u003Cem>No matter how real it feels and how much you enjoy it, that person on the screen is never going to replace proper human contact,\u003C\u002Fem>” \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fadult-entertainment-industry-seeing-rise-in-vr-porn-isolation-2020-3\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psychologist Perpetua Neo said\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In extreme cases, it could even lead to so-called “\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fadult-entertainment-industry-seeing-rise-in-vr-porn-isolation-2020-3\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">porn-induced erectile dysfunction.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">” It refers to viewers’ brains getting accustomed to such extreme levels of stimulation that they can’t get stimulated enough by their real-life partner.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch1>\u003Cb>Sextech and the future of society\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you might be experiencing a feeling of shock, outrage, frustration, amazement\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the combination of all four. However, you should consider that technology is always developed as a response to \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">human needs\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are people who live in long-distance relationships and desperately lonely people. Others might have problems with monogamy or  forming long-lasting (sexual) relationships.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Others who live in marriage and everything else except sex is working just fine. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some even struggle with their own sexuality and matters of sexual health. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The future of sextech can offer solutions to live a fulfilling sexual life.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, these also \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bring along a host of ethical and moral questions about our relationships\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and our society as a whole. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is VR sex cheating or a safe way to experiment? We could ask the same about A.I. sex dolls too. Moreover, should the latter be allowed to recreate questionable or downright immoral fantasies? \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“\u003Cem>Some robots are programmed to protest, to create a rape scenario\u003C\u002Fem>,” Dr Christine Hendren of Duke University \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fscience-environment-51330261\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">told BBC News\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. “\u003Cem>Some are designed to look like children. One developer of these in Japan is a self-confessed paedophile, who says that this device is a prophylactic against him ever hurting a real child.\u003C\u002Fem>” Researchers \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fscience-environment-51330261\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are already sounding the alarm\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that such robots present an increasing threat to individual, as well as societal, morals and psychology. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure id=\"attachment_32727\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32727\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32727\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-robot-doll-companion.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"641\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-robot-doll-companion.jpg 960w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F03\u002Fsex-robot-doll-companion-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32727\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will have to increasingly address these tough issues in the coming years. But it better happen sooner so that the boundaries are well-established among all members of society. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transhumanist \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fzoltan-istvan-and-the-jesus-singularity\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoltan Istvan told us\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the question is not how technology changes sexuality, but whether sexuality can survive technology. He doesn’t think it will. Sexuality, like all social rituals, is something that will not be needed in a world where offspring are born in a test tube or where the idea of having offspring is abandoned altogether.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On our end, we think that society, sexuality and technology should find a common ground. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We should teach \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">younger generations\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> how to love, how to feel empathetic towards others, how to form long-lasting bonds; while also figuring out what place technology might get in our lives and sexuality. To preserve the core of being a human, we should do that soon. After all, what remains when the most precious human interactions – touching another human being with intimacy, care, and empathy – lose their authenticity and are completely replaced by robots and virtual reality?\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bertalan Mesko, PhD, the Director of The Medical Futurist Institute, launched The Medical Futurist to help individuals, companies, and governments understand how digital health technologies bring healthcare into the 21st century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u003Cem>“Digital health technologies empower patients to become proactive in their life; empower medical professionals to do their job being supported by advanced technologies, and companies and policymakers to make better decisions about their future.” – Dr. Bertalan Meskó\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To support this transformation, Dr. Meskó and The Medical Futurist team is working relentlessly analyzing the latest trends in digital health and bringing insights to the 800,000+ readers and followers of our publications, along these principles:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: #e71d3299;\">\u003Cstrong>The Medical Futurist is a place to learn, not a place for advertising\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fspan>. The Medical Futurist team is working to bring you unlimited access to reliable, neutral information, that is free from the influence of vendors and companies.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: #e71d3299;\">\u003Cstrong>Unlike many others, we keep 99% of The Medical Futurist content open for all readers\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fspan>, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe in information equality, where everyone deserves to read accurate news and thoughtful analysis.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>For 2021, we commit to another year of high-impact reporting that helps people navigate the jungle of digital health and to see where it is heading. With no shareholders or billionaire owners, we set our own agenda and provide unbiased insights that are free from commercial and political influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Long-distance hugs; virtual reality porn stars; technosexuals living with automated dolls; you might have caught such news snippets online, but you’ll have to get used […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,32755,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33,34,35,36],6479,493,511,506,512,514,[38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61],6685,1332,6687,6665,6689,6667,167,6669,545,246,6671,830,377,6675,831,383,6677,832,425,6679,833,445,6681,6683,[63,64],947,951,[],[67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76],4511,1571,1577,1583,1719,1725,1853,1883,2373,3347,[78,14,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114,115],"post-17353","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","category-augmented-reality","category-bioethics","category-cyborgization","category-robotics","category-virtual-reality","tag-dr-ian-pearson","tag-transhumanism","tag-davecat","tag-sextech","tag-istvan-zoltan","tag-hugshirt","tag-ces","tag-kissenger","tag-sensors","tag-future","tag-gatebox","tag-sex","tag-robotics-2","tag-alexa","tag-sexuality","tag-science-fiction","tag-loneliness-epidemic","tag-porn","tag-technology-2","tag-ferly","tag-cyborgization","tag-virtual-reality","tag-sam-shah","tag-numan","project_category-company","project_category-patients",{"id":24,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":117,"media_type":118,"media_details":119,"post":147,"source_url":148},"Long-distance hugs; virtual reality porn stars; technosexuals living with automated dolls – discover the technological transformation of sex.","image",{"width":120,"height":121,"file":122,"sizes":123,"image_meta":145},1920,1080,"2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01.png",{"medium":124,"large":130,"thumbnail":135,"medium_large":139,"1536x1536":140},{"file":125,"width":126,"height":127,"mime-type":128,"source_url":129},"tmf_article_246-01-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-370x208.png",{"file":131,"width":132,"height":133,"mime-type":128,"source_url":134},"tmf_article_246-01-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-768x432.png",{"file":136,"width":137,"height":137,"mime-type":128,"source_url":138},"tmf_article_246-01-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-150x150.png",{"file":131,"width":132,"height":133,"mime-type":128,"source_url":134},{"file":141,"width":142,"height":143,"mime-type":128,"source_url":144},"tmf_article_246-01-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":146,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":146,"copyright":27,"focal_length":146,"iso":146,"shutter_speed":146,"title":27,"orientation":146},"0",32713,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Ftmf_article_246-01.png",{"related_posts":20,"related_posts_footer":150,"cta_type":154,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":155},[151,152,153],31349,31879,32197,"subscribe",[156,157],24757,31417,{"yoast_wpseo_title":159,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":117,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"The Technological Future Of Sexuality And Sexual Health - The Medical Futurist",{"self":161,"collection":167,"about":170,"author":173,"replies":176,"version-history":179,"predecessor-version":183,"wp:featuredmedia":187,"wp:attachment":190,"wp:term":193,"curies":209},[162],{"href":163,"targetHints":164},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17353",{"allow":165},[166],"GET",[168],{"href":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[171],{"href":172},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[174],{"embeddable":26,"href":175},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[177],{"embeddable":26,"href":178},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=17353",[180],{"count":181,"href":182},28,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17353\u002Frevisions",[184],{"id":185,"href":186},33453,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F17353\u002Frevisions\u002F33453",[188],{"embeddable":26,"href":189},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F32755",[191],{"href":192},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=17353",[194,197,200,203,206],{"taxonomy":195,"embeddable":26,"href":196},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=17353",{"taxonomy":198,"embeddable":26,"href":199},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=17353",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":26,"href":202},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=17353",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":26,"href":205},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=17353",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":26,"href":208},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=17353",[210],{"name":211,"href":212,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[214],{"id":153,"date":215,"date_gmt":216,"guid":217,"modified":219,"modified_gmt":220,"slug":221,"status":13,"type":14,"link":222,"title":223,"content":225,"excerpt":227,"author":23,"featured_media":229,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":230,"categories":231,"tags":242,"project_category":247,"contact_email_category":250,"yst_prominent_words":251,"class_list":258,"better_featured_image":276,"acf":297,"yoast_meta":313,"_links":315},"2023-11-21T10:00:00","2023-11-21T09:00:00",{"rendered":218},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=32197&_wpnonce=33632050e7&status=auto-draft&type=post","2023-11-23T11:57:25","2023-11-23T10:57:25","superhumans","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsuperhumans",{"rendered":224},"Will We All Have To Become Biologically Enhanced Superhumans?",{"rendered":226,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Okay, hands up who can tell who’s the most famous biologically enhanced superhuman in the world? True, it’s a quite close call between Captain America and The Incredible Hulk (sorry Spidey, you’re not even close). But are human-invented superhumans just a thing of a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FStan_Lee\" target=\"_blank\">Stan Lee comic\u003C\u002Fa>, or is it an actual scientific idea from a real laboratory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As a matter of fact, enhancing human capabilities has been on the minds of people for ages, but it has come a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons. Enhancing our abilities, be it permanently or temporarily is a tempting but risky matter. Will it be possible in the not-too-far future to gear up superhuman powers so we don’t lag behind the others? Let’s dive in and see how (and if) we can be our better selves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21851\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero.png 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F09\u002FSuperhero-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Superhuman – with the help of technology\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A brief history of human enhancement\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>First, we need to ask what ‘enhancement’ exactly is. Throughout history, the enhancement of humans by various tools from physical addendums (remember \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.primaryancientgreeks.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdaidalos-ikaros\" target=\"_blank\">Icaros\u003C\u002Fa>?) to drugs (from ferocious Viking “\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.historyextra.com\u002Fperiod\u002Fviking\u002Fthe-truth-about-viking-berserkers\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">berserkers\u003C\u002Fa>” to the Nazi army or East German swimmers – or many of the cyclists still today), or even love (just google ‘\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FSacred_Band_of_Thebes\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Band of Thebes\u003C\u002Fa>’) have been on the minds of leaders, military chiefs or inventors alike. Or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=bxiKqA-u8y4&ab_channel=TheSchoolofLife\" target=\"_blank\">philosophers\u003C\u002Fa>, as a matter of fact. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The urge to live forever has not passed with our predecessors, let’s take a look at Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint project with its straightforward goal: \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprotocol.bryanjohnson.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">don’t die\u003C\u002Fa>. Granted, most of us don’t have 30 doctors and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Ffeatures\u002F2023-01-25\u002Fanti-aging-techniques-taken-to-extreme-by-bryan-johnson?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTY3NDc1MjE5MiwiZXhwIjoxNjc1MzU2OTkyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJSUDFGV0xEV1JHRzQwMSIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJFNUUzM0M0NzlCOTA0MjU2OTRGRTU1NTg5OTQ4N0FBOSJ9.cWlkQxMxDlCY3A2nkIt6Fy2fciMLM0nsY8uS2T7Vhug&sref=nPlhheXZ\" target=\"_blank\">millions of dollars\u003C\u002Fa> to spend on enhancing ourselves in all possible ways. On top of that, I feel a slight contrast between his efforts and the initiative to sell extra virgin olive oil as the omnipotent elixir to the less fortunate. But we can’t deny he has gone the extra mile in every possible way to make the most of what money and science offer today and I truly appreciate the dedication here. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, biological enhancement is a much deeper issue.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The dawn of digital health brought an era of technological advancements and within, the recreation of the human body or body parts or -functions came within reach. It started as a restoration of a certain human function, like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.asrs.org\u002Fretina-times\u002Fdetails\u002F131\u002Ffda-approves-world-first-artificial-retina\" target=\"_blank\">eyesight\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uclhospitals.brc.nihr.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fprogrammes\u002Fdeafness-hearing-problems\" target=\"_blank\">hearing\u003C\u002Fa>, or the replacement of a missing limb. Technologies like CRISPR gene editing, nanotechnology and even the revolution of wearables and sensors brought new possibilities in human enhancement, and although longevity is still far away for many, living longer and possibly healthier is a de facto case for the human race. (That is, if we survive the climate catastrophe we created.) \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The science of it also has a philosophical backing called \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FTranshumanism\" target=\"_blank\">transhumanism\u003C\u002Fa>; a movement that “\u003Cem>advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition.\u003C\u002Fem>” The concept states that humankind will evolve into a new intelligent species. That is yet to be seen, however: current affairs indicate no such evolution. But \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-scotland-49893869\" target=\"_blank\">transhumanists\u003C\u002Fa> live and\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fcalumchace\u002F2023\u002F02\u002F01\u002Fpioneering-transhumanism-a-conversation-with-natasha-vita-more\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"> strive among us\u003C\u002Fa>. And sometimes episodes of the series \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-our-brains-health-in-black-mirror\" target=\"_blank\">Black Mirror\u003C\u002Fa> have more links to reality than we wish. To know more, read our \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fzoltan-istvan-and-the-jesus-singularity\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">in-depth interview\u003C\u002Fa> with one of the world’s most influential transhumanists, Zoltan Istvan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1.png\" alt=\"Black Mirror\" class=\"wp-image-22306\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1.png 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F039_blackmirror-1-512x288.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There is a variety of fields where a superhuman feature could potentially be created. And that will not be the result of a single discipline but of the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fobamawhitehouse.archives.gov\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fmicrosites\u002Fostp\u002Fbioecon-%28%23%20023SUPP%29%20NSF-NBIC.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">convergence\u003C\u002Fa> of multiple scientific fields. Currently, these have a restorative focus rather than a developmental one, although each can evolve towards that in the future. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-human-to-cyborg\" target=\"_blank\">In this article\u003C\u002Fa>, we split the possible directions into 3 main categories:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Removable cyborg extensions\u003C\u002Fstrong> – the tools enhancing the individual can easily be put away at the end of use\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cyborg-humans\u003C\u002Fstrong> – technologies causing lasting, but not irreversible transformation like prosthetic limbs, digital tattoos and bionic implants\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technologies changing humans forever\u003C\u002Fstrong> – genetic editing (such as CRISPR) is the one that raises the most ethical and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-most-pressing-issues-in-bioethics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">moral questions\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>This time we categorize the possibilities for enhancements horizontally and have a look at 5 fields where human enhancements would be possible.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Brainpower\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A microchip in the brain that will enhance our cognitive functions by a zillion – how we all could use such a thing during exams! The concept was first raised back in 1968 by architect Nicholas Negroponte at MIT, and it has come a long way since. Hacking the human brain is more difficult than we could imagine and cannot be solved with a single microchip implant. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But Elon Musk’s \u003Cem>other\u003C\u002Fem> company, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fneuralink.com\u002Fapproach\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Neuralink\u003C\u002Fa> aims to do just that. The idea is to have a chip implanted in one’s brain; that neural implant will let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Musk \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=CLUWDLKAF1M\" target=\"_blank\">presented the pigs with the implants\u003C\u002Fa> and in 2023 the company is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2023\u002F9\u002F19\u002F23880861\u002Fneuralink-human-clinical-trial-n1-implant\" target=\"_blank\">recruiting human candidates\u003C\u002Fa> with quadriplegia for a six-year clinical trial. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But seeing what Elon Musk did to that poor pig, it did not at all look like the future. We at The Medical Futurist often say that before the digital health transformation, a cultural shift is inevitable. But having a neural implant somehow gives me the creeps – even if it could give me superpowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Brain-computer interface\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With less media hype, Synchron, a company that has developed a minimally invasive brain-computer interface is further along the way. Their implant actually has been working in at least two patients for quite a long time and has now enrolled six patients with severe quadriparesis. The current trial runs in three clinical trial sites in the US. The Synchron implant does not require open brain surgery as it is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein, through a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Brain Implant That Turns Your Thoughts Into Text | Tom Oxley | TED\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F7Fiaew7nDmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain, intended to restore the capability for severely paralysed patients to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Researchers have been investigating the possibilities of brain-computer interfaces or BCIs for quite a while now. At first, these were thought to be tools on one hand to provide constant monitoring of the brain’s electrical activity; this could support a wide range of applications from monitoring epilepsy or ADHD to pain management and sleep assessment. On the other hand, the concept was thought to be a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F10\u002Fwhat-brain-computer-interfaces-could-mean-for-the-future-of-work\" target=\"_blank\">solution for paralysed people\u003C\u002Fa> to move and control things around them with only thoughts… Taking it onto the next level, such an implant could also be used as an external hard drive for the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Enhancing cognitive performance would be able to change the lives of millions suffering from memory loss, and neurological or psychological disorders. Restorative processes like stroke rehabilitation would also gain from the technology. Or, as a matter of fact, these can help reduce the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffnins.2020.00692\u002Ffull\" target=\"_blank\">cognitive effects of ageing\u003C\u002Fa>. No wonder there are many studies that focus on the possibilities such technology can provide \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC7339951\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">for seniors\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Muscle strength and robotic exoskeletons\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There is a huge cultural acceptance issue with technological solutions for restoration vs. tech for boosting performance. According to a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.scientificamerican.com\u002Fobservations\u002Fwhat-americans-think-of-human-enhancement-technologies\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">study on the matter\u003C\u002Fa>, the public almost unanimously agrees with technological enhancement if it’s used for restorative purposes: 95% support physical restorative applications, and 88% support cognitive restorative applications. But when it comes to the enhancement of human capabilities for the reason of boosting performance – well, that’s a big no-no, according to the study. Only 35% of respondents agree with the concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paralysed Man Completes London Marathon 2018\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FaB0pfAL6MdU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Robotic exoskeletons are also becoming more and more common. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Ftopics\u002Fengineering\u002Fexoskeleton-robotics\" target=\"_blank\">Paralyzed\u003C\u002Fa> people or those who lost a limb have now the chance to move again with such technological advancements. Certain industries like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdozr.com\u002Fblog\u002Fconstruction-exoskeletons\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">construction\u003C\u002Fa> also make use of the extra power robotics can give. The next step will be the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-future-of-prosthetics-depends-on-a-i\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">AI-powered prosthesis\u003C\u002Fa>; or ones that can supplement healthy individuals with additional limbs. Not to mention a future where we \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FWTdfTupF7fs\" target=\"_blank\">share bodies and senses\u003C\u002Fa> with machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But what are advanced technologies worth if only the wealthiest can afford them? That has been the case with many exoskeletons therefore it’s so great to see \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.therobotreport.com\u002Frewalk-robotics-announces-solidified-medicare-coverage-for-personal-exoskeleton\u002F\">more and more covered by health insurance\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2023 October ReWalk Robotics, Inc. announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule benefitting its exoskeleton technology. “Earlier this year, CMS released a proposal aiming to establish new regulatory definition of “brace.” Adding the definition of brace would expedite coverage and payment for newer technology and powered devices, according to CMS. This potentially enables faster access to the newer technologies, like those made by ReWalk and Myomo as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The new CMS proposal includes personal exoskeletons in the Medicare benefit category for braces meaning that benefits would extend to exoskeletons which allow paralyzed patients to stand and walk. This follows a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.therobotreport.com\u002Fexoskeletons-qualify-for-direct-disability-compensation-in-germany\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar announcement from Germany\u003C\u002Fa> from 2022. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Enhancing the senses\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What if technology could aid humans to have better hearing than bats? What if we could filter out the smell of urban decay and only experience pleasant odours? Or what if implants could let us see microscopic objects? Or special features, such as the heat map of an abandoned terrain? These questions led us to list how technology could help augment human senses in our previous article. One exciting example of this was the AI-supported hearing aid presented at the 2021 CES. This device features an onboard deep neural network that gives people with hearing loss a better experience. And there are many more examples of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Supercharging human senses with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medgadget.com\u002F2023\u002F11\u002Fglasses-provide-audible-prompts-for-blind-wearers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">technology for the blind\u003C\u002Fa> or the deaf are entirely feasible enhancements. When a person loses a sense, the area of the brain that was responsible for handling that sensory information does not go unused. The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.jneurosci.org\u002Fcontent\u002F32\u002F28\u002F9626.abstract?sid=554f9c9c-ec7e-4c33-87a0-3f2416e52e24\" target=\"_blank\">brain rewires itself\u003C\u002Fa> and uses that area to process other senses. This is \u003Cem>neuroplasticity\u003C\u002Fem>, the ability of the brain to change with experience. Researchers “just” need to find out how to use this natural superpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Temporary or long-term sensory enhancements are also not limited to the ones with certain disabilities: the technology goes beyond that. In the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Freferenceworkentry\u002F10.1007%2F978-94-007-4707-4_106\" target=\"_blank\">Handbook of Neuroethics\u003C\u002Fa>, the authors explain that the enhancement tools “\u003Cem>could be implemented in mainly two ways: either via the application of digital technology or by genetic engineering of the human body\u003C\u002Fem>.” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ericsson.com\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002F2018\u002F7\u002Faugmented-reality-gives-us-super-human-abilities-and-a-sixth-sense\" target=\"_blank\">Augmented reality\u003C\u002Fa> just takes this realm a step further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One-minute Challenge: Augmented Reality - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FxUaBrgsHkPs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Augmented reality is not only \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Faugmented-reality-in-healthcare-will-be-revolutionary\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">revolutionary\u003C\u002Fa> but can also give us real superpowers. It is one of the most promising digital health technologies, from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.timesofisrael.com\u002Fin-global-first-shaare-zedek-spine-surgeon-combines-augmented-reality-with-robotics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">operations\u003C\u002Fa> to providing \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FWg6jN-audEM\" target=\"_blank\">information\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FPzPKdlFbvYM\" target=\"_blank\">education\u003C\u002Fa>. Heightened capabilities of our vision by AR, VR, digital contact lenses or even retina chips have been bugging the minds of researchers for the past decade. And although many of the concepts \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-theranos-to-google-glass-the-biggest-flops-in-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">have failed\u003C\u002Fa> (remember Google’s glass or glucose-level measuring contact lenses?), these flops don’t necessarily mean the concepts are wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Genetic engineering – a brave new world?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A lot of research is underway in gene therapies. CRISPR editing was a huge step in this direction. While its original vision, to serve as a tool offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F03\u002F07\u002F1069475\u002Fforget-designer-babies-heres-how-crispr-is-really-changing-lives\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gene therapies for patients\u003C\u002Fa> is noble and just, there is a significant, primarily moral and ethical resistance against the method. For example, researchers in Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ox.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fresearch-impact\u002Frestoring-sight-gene-therapy\" target=\"_blank\">help restore eyesight\u003C\u002Fa> to patients with genetic vision defects with gene therapy, which seems acceptable as a method; while genetic engineering \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fnuffieldbioethics.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">on an embryo-level\u003C\u002Fa> is more of a moral issue than a scientific one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While CRISPR therapies are still considered experimental, and none have been approved, and some even have been unsuccessful, we’ve also seen \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F03\u002F10\u002F1069619\u002Fmore-than-200-people-treated-with-experimental-crispr-therapies\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">some success stories\u003C\u002Fa> and several \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.technologyreview.com\u002F2023\u002F10\u002F25\u002F1082306\u002Fgene-editing-crispr-hiv-experiment\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">creepier announcements\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Editing DNA can become a powerful tool in the diagnosis and the treatment of diseases. The European Union is trying to add the ethical component on the first level of its scientific programme in the genetic engineering leg of its human enhancement project. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsienna-project.eu\u002Fgenomics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Sienna\u003C\u002Fa>, and other such organisations and projects also raise and include ethical issues in their projects. However, with such technologies becoming more available, cases like the creation of first \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-a-chinese-scientist-broke-the-rules-to-create-the-first-gene-edited-babies-11557506697\" target=\"_blank\">designer babies in China\u003C\u002Fa> appear. After this scandal, the WHO launched a global registry to track research on human genome editing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Transhumanists predict that with the convergence of new technologies in science, we could create healthier, smarter and stronger humans. They think it’s our duty to evolve into something beyond ourselves. But as much as I love science, my idea of a happier life does not begin with being faster and stronger. It begins with the core values of humankind: empathy, tolerance and kindness. And if we can cure something or someone with the help of science, we should do that. But my brave new world shall not take place in \u003Cem>Gattaca\u003C\u002Fem>. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Read more about these concepts in my book \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FMy-Health-Revolutionary-Technologies-Healthier\u002Fdp\u002F6158026107\" target=\"_blank\">My Health Upgraded\u003C\u002Fa>, elaborating on where health care and medicine is heading in the future. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh5>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FMy-Health-Revolutionary-Technologies-Healthier\u002Fdp\u002F6158026107\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-768x350.png\" alt=\"Live better using technology - Buy My Health Upgraded\" class=\"wp-image-13211\"\u002F\u003C\u002Fa srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-768x350.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo-512x233.png 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F05\u002Flive-better-with-technology-myhealthupgraded-promo.png 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Get it on Amazon\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":228,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages, but superhumans came a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",32183,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[232,233,32,33,234,34,235,236,237,238,239,240,35,241,36],6261,504,500,798,491,488,496,800,516,515,[243,244,39,245,246],639,1120,6525,231,[248,249],950,953,[],[71,252,253,254,255,76,68,256,257],2017,2215,2329,2541,1617,1681,[259,14,79,80,81,82,83,260,261,85,86,262,87,263,264,265,266,267,268,88,269,89,270,271,91,272,273,274,275],"post-32197","category-forecast","category-artificial-intelligence","category-biotechnology","category-digital-health-research","category-empowered-patients","category-genomics","category-health-sensors-trackers","category-healthcare-policy","category-medical-education","category-science-fiction","tag-brain-computer-interface","tag-bci","tag-neuralink","tag-exoskeleton","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-researchers",{"id":229,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":277,"media_type":118,"media_details":278,"post":295,"source_url":296},"Becoming superhuman ",{"width":120,"height":121,"file":279,"sizes":280,"image_meta":294},"2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01.png",{"medium":281,"large":284,"thumbnail":287,"medium_large":290,"1536x1536":291},{"file":282,"width":126,"height":127,"mime-type":128,"source_url":283},"tmf_article_236-01-370x208.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-370x208.png",{"file":285,"width":132,"height":133,"mime-type":128,"source_url":286},"tmf_article_236-01-768x432.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-768x432.png",{"file":288,"width":137,"height":137,"mime-type":128,"source_url":289},"tmf_article_236-01-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-150x150.png",{"file":285,"width":132,"height":133,"mime-type":128,"source_url":286},{"file":292,"width":142,"height":143,"mime-type":128,"source_url":293},"tmf_article_236-01-1536x864.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":146,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":146,"copyright":27,"focal_length":146,"iso":146,"shutter_speed":146,"title":27,"orientation":146},32095,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_236-01.png",{"cta_type":154,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_posts_footer":298,"related_posts":20,"related_books":302,"key_takeaways":306},[299,300,301],53187,52933,53089,[303,304,305],24765,24764,24761,[307,309,311],{"title":308},"\u003Cp>Human enhancement has evolved from ancient methods to advanced technologies like exoskeletons and genetic editing, blurring the lines between science fiction and reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":310},"\u003Cp>Current advancements in human enhancement, such as brain-computer interfaces and sensory augmentation, promise to revolutionize not just health but everyday human capabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":312},"\u003Cp>The ethical and philosophical considerations of human enhancement, especially in transhumanism, highlight the need to balance technological progress with fundamental human values and moral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":224,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":314,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":222},"Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages, but superhumans came a long way from ancient training methods to exoskeletons.",{"self":316,"collection":321,"about":323,"author":325,"replies":327,"version-history":330,"predecessor-version":334,"wp:featuredmedia":338,"wp:attachment":341,"wp:term":344,"curies":355},[317],{"href":318,"targetHints":319},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197",{"allow":320},[166],[322],{"href":169},[324],{"href":172},[326],{"embeddable":26,"href":175},[328],{"embeddable":26,"href":329},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=32197",[331],{"count":332,"href":333},45,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197\u002Frevisions",[335],{"id":336,"href":337},53721,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F32197\u002Frevisions\u002F53721",[339],{"embeddable":26,"href":340},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F32183",[342],{"href":343},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=32197",[345,347,349,351,353],{"taxonomy":195,"embeddable":26,"href":346},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=32197",{"taxonomy":198,"embeddable":26,"href":348},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=32197",{"taxonomy":201,"embeddable":26,"href":350},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=32197",{"taxonomy":204,"embeddable":26,"href":352},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=32197",{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":26,"href":354},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=32197",[356],{"name":211,"href":212,"templated":26},[358],{"id":157,"date":359,"date_gmt":360,"guid":361,"modified":363,"modified_gmt":364,"slug":365,"status":13,"type":366,"link":367,"title":368,"content":370,"excerpt":372,"author":23,"featured_media":374,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"template":27,"yst_prominent_words":375,"class_list":376,"better_featured_image":379,"acf":399,"yoast_meta":417,"_links":420},"2020-12-02T08:54:13","2020-12-02T07:54:13",{"rendered":362},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_type=book&p=31417","2023-03-12T18:17:41","2023-03-12T17:17:41","invest-in-digital-health","book","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fbooks\u002Finvest-in-digital-health\u002F",{"rendered":369},"Invest In Digital Health – The Medical Futurist’s Guide",{"rendered":371,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health are booming. In this book, we explain why now it’s a good time to invest in Digital Health and give recommendations on where to invest by looking at the top 24 technological trends we find the most promising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":373,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health are booming. In this book, we explain why now it’s a good time to invest in Digital Health and give […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",49965,[257,256,68],[377,366,378,80,82,83],"post-31417","type-book",{"id":374,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":118,"media_details":380,"post":157,"source_url":398},{"width":381,"height":382,"file":383,"filesize":384,"sizes":385,"image_meta":396},320,413,"2020\u002F12\u002Finvest-in-digital-health.png",69673,{"medium":386,"thumbnail":391},{"file":387,"width":381,"height":388,"mime-type":128,"filesize":389,"source_url":390},"invest-in-digital-health-320x208.png",208,31956,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002Finvest-in-digital-health-320x208.png",{"file":392,"width":393,"height":393,"mime-type":128,"filesize":394,"source_url":395},"invest-in-digital-health-150x150.png",150,21851,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002Finvest-in-digital-health-150x150.png",{"aperture":146,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":146,"copyright":27,"focal_length":146,"iso":146,"shutter_speed":146,"title":27,"orientation":146,"keywords":397},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002Finvest-in-digital-health.png",{"buy_button_text":400,"leanpub_url":401,"preview":402},"Get it on Leanpub","https:\u002F\u002Fleanpub.com\u002Fdigital-health-investments",[403,405,407,409,411,413,415],{"image":404},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-1-1.png",{"image":406},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-2.png",{"image":408},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-3.png",{"image":410},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-4.png",{"image":412},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-5.png",{"image":414},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-6.png",{"image":416},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F12\u002FInvest-In-Digital-Health-Guide-Preview-7.png",{"yoast_wpseo_title":418,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":419,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":367},"Invest In Digital Health - The Medical Futurist's Guide","Investment in digital health: Digital health investment activity is robust in 2020. Read our book to learn more about investing in digital healthcare",{"self":421,"collection":426,"about":429,"author":432,"replies":434,"wp:featuredmedia":437,"wp:attachment":440,"wp:term":443,"curies":446},[422],{"href":423,"targetHints":424},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook\u002F31417",{"allow":425},[166],[427],{"href":428},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook",[430],{"href":431},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fbook",[433],{"embeddable":26,"href":175},[435],{"embeddable":26,"href":436},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=31417",[438],{"embeddable":26,"href":439},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F49965",[441],{"href":442},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=31417",[444],{"taxonomy":207,"embeddable":26,"href":445},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=31417",[447],{"name":211,"href":212,"templated":26},1785514463696]