Mind Control Technology May Not Be So Far Fetched For The US Military

How many fantasies of science fiction are no longer a thing of fiction? Or, what's more, how many fantasies of science fiction are now a normal part of our everyday lives? While there's still plenty that remains a far-flung theory of a far-off reality, other ideas — like controlling technology with our minds — might not be as distant as we think. According to a recent article in The Conversation, military personnel could soon use nanotechnology implanted in the brain to man weapons on the other side of the world. 

Certain tiny computer chips could even be capable of swaying the user's behavior, by preventing the production of fear- and anxiety-related hormones. It's all possible by deciphering and sending brain signals to an outside device. These technologies are called brain-computer interfaces. These devices signify a future where the user simply needs to think of an action or command, and it will be willed into reality through the brain chip. 

Brain-computer interfaces are in testing stages at present — and actually for quite altruistic purposes. The technology is being used in sufferers of neurological injuries, like spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases, The Conversation says. Tiny chips implanted in the brains of patients help them to navigate the challenges of everyday life, mobility, and communication, such as moving a mouse on a tablet with their thoughts.

Despite the benevolent intentions in the testing of brain-computer interfaces, this sort of thing has ethicists cautious. The concept of brain-computer interface technology helping a patient with severe ALS speak to their family isn't a difficult one to support, but using the same technology to control overseas missiles or eradicate the fear, anxiety, or uncertainty in a solider carrying out a combat mission is a very different story. The potential price to pay in mental health and moral standing is only one side of the coin, too. A chilling idea proposed by The Conversation adds that widespread brain-computer interface use could spawn a new field of brain hacking — leading to thought theft and behavioral hijacking.

The argument is complex. United States soldiers could be using devices in their brains to communicate with one another and their commanders by 2050, The Conversation reports — but where will the boundaries of thought sharing lie, and will participation be required? The bioethicists and neuroscientists who authored The Conversation's piece point out that, from a certain point of view, brain-computer interface technology is no morally different from other brain-altering practices like the ingestion of caffeine. But on the other hand, caffeine is not used by a powerful military — already the most powerful in the world (via Statista), unsettling sci-fi hive mind technology aside — to be successful in combat and wars. 

Medically, this technology has an endless amount of potential. Brain-computer interface implants could be used for people with attention disorders by triggering events in the brain that encourage focus, according to the book "Brain-Computer Interfaces: Principles and Practice." People with poor vision could rely on this technology to send signals about visual detection — obstacles, light, etc. — to the brain. 

But the uses will certainly not stop at medical or military as the technology becomes more publicly accepted. It did not take long for the private sector to throw its hat in the ring of brain-interface technology. Most notable is Neuralink, another Elon Musk endeavor, which is reported to be working on a brain implant device to allow thought-to-thought communication between users (with its first human trials coming sooner than you'd expect). Brain-computer interface chips could even benefit everyday life enrichment, states "Brain-Computer Interfaces," supporting activities like video games, internet browsing, or artistic hobbies and expression.