You, robot?

Technology and regulation: A research project considers how the law should deal with technologies that blur man and machine

SPEAKING at a conference organised by The Economist earlier this year, Hugh Herr, a roboticist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, described disabilities as conditions that persist “because of poor technology” and made the bold claim that during the 21st century disability would be largely eliminated. What gave his words added force was that half way through his speech, after ten minutes of strolling around the stage, he unexpectedly pulled up his trouser legs to reveal his bionic legs, and then danced a little jig. In future, he suggested, people might choose to replace an arthritic, painful limb with a fully functional robotic one. “Why wouldn’t you replace it?” he asked. “We’re going to see a lot of unusual situations like that.”

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With the exception of low-level body-hacking, transhumanism is an expensive business. From genetic modification and cryonics to robo-prosthetics and smart drugs, it’s the playground of the privileged. But if a wealthy pioneer chooses to genetically engineer their perfect sproglet, who picks up the bill when it all goes wrong? And at what point does a perceived enhancement become so popular that it becomes the norm?

Steve Fuller believes that as people experiment with more enhancements, there is an impact on human identity as a whole, since the notion of enhancement relies on our understanding of what it means to be physically or mentally “normal”. This understanding, in turn, informs discussions about discrimination and justice. For example, according to the Equality Act 2010, businesses that provide a service to the public must make reasonable adjustments to their premises to give disabled access. What happens if bionic retinas with night vision or augmented reality becomes the norm? Should there be NHS provisions for the minority that don’t have access to the technology?

Furthermore, what happens if technological advances in prosthetics and exoskeletons mean that we no longer see what we currently perceive as disability in the same way? “At the moment construction issues around disability [disability parking spaces etc] presuppose that it’s an unfortunate thing.”

Fuller points out that it’s misguided to see transhumanism as a simple matter of individual choice since it has the potential to have a major impact on public policy and welfare provision. “We need to keep track of the kind of choices people are making. And if we are going to encourage it, we need to make it possible for everyone to have the opportunity to be involved.”

Spinal cord injury victims may be able to look forward to life beyond a wheelchair via a robotic leg prosthesis controlled by brain waves. Individuals with paraplegia due to spinal cord injury who are wheelchair-bound face serious health problems, or in medical terminology, comorbidities, such as metabolic derangement, heart disease, osteoporosis, and pressure ulcers. New research efforts are being directed toward restoring brain-controlled ambulation for those who suffer from spinal cord injuries.

Britain’s first bionic veteran has a new brain-controlled robotic arm that is transforming his life.

Andrew Garthwaite, 25, had his right arm blown clean off by a rocket-propelled grenade during a firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan in September 2010. In January he had the state-of-the-art limb wired to his nervous system during a six-hour operation in Vienna, Austria.

Now he is getting to grips with his new body part and is able to ride his motorcycle and drive a car again. Mr Gathwaite, who lives with his new wife Kailey, also 25, in South Shields, Tyneside, said:

'It's been incredible. I thought I might never be the same. But my life is starting to get back to normal - I'm on my motorbike and I'm back in a car. I can do things that I never thought I would have been able to do'.