Kevin Warwick's Experiment 1: Future Identity

This comment responds to Kevin Warwick’s article on the uses of implants. It foregrounds how human frailty can undermine the promise that new ICTs will assist the vulnerable and deliver better services, safety and security. For example, the type of data in an RFID implant could readily be used to identify and eradicate certain kinds of individuals. We need to question the priority of values in our societies, and there is a need for swift critical thinking, looking beyond the mantra of “convenience” in order to sort out what the real societal benefits could be. Ethical deployment and use of ICTs hinges on the implementation of accountable, open, transparent and responsive government, the rule of law and justice, and societal respect for human dignity and equality.