Is Microchip in Hand Changing the Future of Work?
Published on : Wednesday 29-07-2020
From virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to digital assistants and virtual trainers, numerous advanced technologies have made waves throughout the development and learning (L&D) discipline as we proceed toward the future of work. One trend, however, raises concerns regarding what the future means for privacy, data protection, and bounds: implanting microchips into employees' skin.
"It all began in Sweden in the spring of 2018. Since then, about 4,000 people have gotten microchips put into their hands. The chip is tiny, and it's surgically inserted into the hands in the region between the thumb and index finger. "
What's a Microchip?
A microchip generally referred to as a chip, is a radio frequency identification device (RFID) regarding the size of a grain of rice. When planted, employees log into their computers can unlock doors as well as purchase snacks from the vending machine with a wave of the hand.
"Some businesses have started giving employees the option to be chipped, such as Three-Square Market, a Wisconsin-based technology company, that made national headlines following microchipping nearly 100 employees in 2017, and Epicenter, a Swedish start-up that has microchipped an estimated 150 employees since 2015. BioTeq, a Swedish company that implants microchips into both people and other organizations' employees, fitted 150 microchips in the U.K. as of 2018."
RFID technology is not something new while emerging in the venture market: People have long used microchips for all from identifying to tracking medical details pets. Let us consider the pros and cons of employees that are microchipping and how privacy issues can be addressed by training for a chipping process.
Microchip Commercialization Benefits
Firms said that RFID implants' primary intention is unique identification, in which the proprietor put the chip into its employees to scan the identification of a person during the period of entrance in the company.
A Device Plus article explains, "A multi-factor authentication approach utilizing a PIN code along with a security microchip is 1 way to stay a step ahead of hackers" Though "established hackers" may nevertheless opt to use a microchip implant to attack a secure facility in person, Beasley says that this situation is unlikely, as the possibility of being caught is much higher.
Microchips may also reduce healthcare costs for employers by tracking factors such as sleep length, blood pressure, and activity levels. Also, workers can log into computers and even purchase snacks from the vending machine with a wave of the hand when planted.
Future of Microchip
When implanted in people, microchips' abilities are still mostly unexplored. Beasley, that has two RFID chips (one to pick up his daughter from daycare and one to enter his office building), predicts they'll be able to "consolidate" later on. In other words, he explains, people will have a personal chip that they can register in areas, such as child's daycare, office building, gym, or anywhere else.
Additionally, sees microchips evolving in the future, predicting that they'll become flexible with other advanced technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Since RFID technology advances and more organizations give employees the possibility to be chipped, learning leaders must be prepared to address privacy issues through open communication and training on either the "light side" and "dark side" of microchipping so that associations, and employees, can ascertain whether the chip is to get them.