Human Enhancement: Is Assistive Technology Morphing from "Need" to "Want"?

Human enhancement is an enduring futurist topic. Next to space travel and colonization, household robots, and flying cars, the idea of enhanced humans stands out as a bold, yet ethically fraught preoccupation of those who imagine a distant future.

A wide continuum of activities fall under the umbrella of human enhancement, often known as transhumanism or biohacking, and other terms. Some proponents argue that enhancement is a matter of survival in terms of adapting to changing climate. Others advocate for extending the human lifespan, warding off death indefinitely. There are a vast number of biotechnical enhancements such as smart skin, bionic limbs with AI, and gene editing such as CRISPR. A recent scientific article explored the idea that vaccinations can be considered a form of human enhancement, an illuminating observation that serves as a reminder of the fact that human enhancement is not exactly new.

The prevalence of visual impairment that comes with age has made eyeglasses a universal and historical assistive technology. Eyeglasses were invented hundreds of years ago, but they persist as the go-to form of vision correction. Although high-tech inventions to address impaired vision are available, most people still use eyeglasses. Over the centuries, it could be argued that eyeglasses have been a persistent form of human enhancement conferring gains via secondary impacts in the form of economic benefits, improved health and wellness, and elevating the overall quality of life.

The eyeglasses example is a useful touchpoint for thinking about the history and future of assistive technology. It helps us see that the rise of contemporary human enhancement options, instead of being limited to solving disabilities, could be absorbed into the repertoire of human biohacking. In other words, while assistive technologies were once meant only for those suffering from disabilities, they are evolving to offer benefits for a significant cross-section of modern society. The popularity of stylish non-prescription glasses as a fashion statement is an real-world example reinforcing the dynamic where a need becomes a want.

Today, the prevalence of human enhancement has reached a key milestone: the first generation of designer babies have grown up. Considerable ethical issues are rising along with the maturation of genetic tinkering. As enhancement becomes one of many consumer options, does assistive technology enable the rise of superhumans? How does this impact the accessibility movement and the need to establish equality for people with disabilities? Furthermore, demographic changes like aging societies and low birth rates are likely to encourage adoption of accessibility tech since older populations are inherently more likely to suffer from disabilities. And with fewer young people around, it may be significantly advantageous for an older person to be able to enhance their physical, cognitive and mental capacities as a form of self-sufficiency. Could we soon see the aging Boomer population take on bionic qualities in their older years?

We may be on the verge of breakthrough technology that helps people reach past the limitations of natural abilities. The types of technologies that are now considered assistive may grow in appeal to people who consider it valuable and worthwhile to enhance their normal abilities. Rather than simply filling a gap to achieve a baseline of ability and prevent discrimination, accessibility technology may soon be a routine choice for consumers in search of what's new, while meeting the needs of a changing population of people with disabilities.

Photo by Smit Patel on Unsplash