1 Introduction
Technology has revolutionized the way we work and interact with each other, bringing about significant changes in the work environment (Mirvis, Sales and Hackett, 1991). However, people got some concerns about how personal data may be collected, processed, and potentially misused in the workplace (Bhave, Teo and Dalal, 2019). As technology continues to advance, our group tried to set up a scenario of brain enhancing implant used in future work scene in 50 years and explore the attitude from people today. Also, we gave intervention according to the feedback and design a friendly ingestible microsensor pill bot instead. This report will discuss based on this project activity and explore how technology can potentially affect individual’s privacy right and their ethical implications in the workplace in the future.
2 Project Description and Reflection
After Mango group agree on the topic of brain enhancing implant, we have decided not to provide a detailed description of the physical form of the microchip. Instead, we will explore the impact of implanting chips on individuals or society through creating some artifacts, including a diary, some comics, and a warning sign. (Figure 1)
For the warning sign I designed (Figure 2),
I was hoping to reflect a critical
perspective on the social implications of implant technology and highlights the collaborative potential of human-machine relationships in digital art. It highlights the implant’s divisive nature by asking the audience to categorize themselves as natural or mechanized humans. This division implies a potential bifurcation of humanity into two distinct races and different classes, which I hope it could raise people’s concern.
In the lab, we got several feedbacks that most people feel negatively about having implants in their bodies with those who expressed concern exhibiting the most pronounced disapproval. This intervention result we received prompted us to re-examine the feasibility of brain implants in future work scenarios. As a result, we conducted research and developed a new approach to facilitate brain function, with the aim of avoiding potential privacy and ethical issues associated with implantation.
After the research, we decide to use an ingestible microsensor pill bot in our guts to assist the brain working. We find out that the connection between our gut and nervous system is a vital symbiotic one. The gut starts in the brainstem and travels down through the gut, connecting with almost every organ along the way. The gut is just like our second brain, which could reflect the stress level and energy level (Li et al., 2021).
We created BUD, which is shown in the following picture including the product design, the pamphlet of BUD and a comic showing how the world might be a better place after the introduction of BUD as a counter- technological approach. (Figure 3) Further information is detailed in appendix.
Throughout the entire project, we constructed a scenario in which a product brought about a paradigm shift in worldview. We continually refined and improved this concept through multiple group meetings.
For me, I would like to define my group role as the combination of a doer and thinker. As a doer, leveraging my skills in graphic design and video editing, I aspire to apply them to make our team’s intended message appear more mature and intuitive. As a thinker, I aim to enhance the logical and rational qualities of our ideas by offering my own perspectives and feedback on those of others.
3 Critical Thinking about the Project
The exploration of the impact of continuously developing technology on future work has always had two sides. Some people hold a positive and affirmative attitude towards the development of technology and the integration of human bodies and machines. They believe that technology has enabled humans to enhance their physical and mental capabilities, leading to a blurring of the boundaries between humans and machines
(Zylinska, 2007). However, based on the feedback we received from our lab, it can be seen that the majority of people hold a skeptical and fearful attitude towards such integration. I believe that technology itself is not the reason for producing negative effects. As with the emergence of the internet and smartphones, we all must choose to accept the huge changes they bring to the world. We almost subconsciously choose “all accepted” when faced with the “accept cookies” pop-up on every website. Perhaps technology has already “invaded” our privacy unnoticed while we are enjoying the convenience it brings.
4 Methodology
The methodology adopted in our project primarily involves the feedback loop, which consists of two aspects. Firstly, our team members provide feedback on each other’s work, thereby improving and adjusting individual contributions. Secondly, we incorporate external feedback to make adjustments to the overall project direction.
As shown in the images below, we have received some external feedback regarding brain enhancing implants.
From Chart 1 and Chart 2, it is evident that a significant proportion of respondents believe that such technology would exacerbate the existing social status and class disparities.
From chart 3, Based on Chart 3, the majority of respondents hold a negative or uncertain attitude towards chip implantation, as no respondents expressed a willingness to this.
According to Chart 4, it can be observed that all respondents expressed a negative attitude towards mandatory chip implantation.
After receiving feedback from the lab, we engaged in collective brainstorming and research, ultimately identifying the most rational approach through idea generation and questioning. Throughout this process, I experienced the value of collaboration, as I do not believe that ideas generated by a single individual can consider the rationality of multiple perspectives. This was also an opportunity for all of us to express our opinions, and the collective intelligence was manifested in all aspects.
5 Conclusion
Our project team conducted a discussion on the impact of technology through the design and improvement of brain enhancing implants. We ultimately chose a way to construct future work scenarios that both help monitor brain activity and reduce the risk of privacy leaks. During the collaboration, I experienced the collision and integration of different ideas, which resulted in a rich and complete outcome. In the future, I hope to be more proactive and bolder in communicating and providing ideas in collaboration, and to try the role of a leader to experience different
perspectives.
6 Reference
Bhave, D.P., Teo, L.H. and Dalal, R.S. (2019). Privacy at Work: A Review and a Research Agenda for a Contested Terrain. Journal of Management, 46(1), pp.127–164.
Mirvis, P.H., Sales, A.L. and Hackett, E.J. (1991). The implementation and adoption of new technology in organizations: The impact on work, people, and culture. Human Resource Management, 30(1), pp.113–139.
Li, H., Sun, G., Li, Y. and Yang, R. (2021). Wearable Wireless Physiological Monitoring System Based on Multi-Sensor. Electronics, 10(9), p.986.
Zylinska, J. (2007). The cyborg experiments : the extensions of the body in the media age. London: Continuum.
7 Appendix
Website of BUD:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFdGkeDLk8/SMjL4YnzLLsxYaIB9ETJLQ/ view?website#1:page-2
Pamphlet of BUD:
Concept
The colour theory is inspired from constituents’ association with the planet Earth. Blue represents trust, honesty, dependability, quality, and security. Green being the colour of life, also symbolises growth, balance and healing. With the motivation towards sustainable (seaweed as a raw material) and ethical choices, it resonated with the name bud. While blue represents security and builds trust within the consumers regarding sensitive subjects like data privacy and autonomy. The letter U is abstracted to resemble a bud while also embodying the letters B,U, and D in geometric permutations within it.
The spherical shape of the pill aims to encapsulate the concept of circularity of inter- body communication system between the brain and the gut. This forms the basic fundamentals of the scientific principles of the product.