Demonstrating the Futures Wheel approach as a co-creative method to collectively evaluate the consequences of microchip implants as a form of human enhancement

What sort of society would there be if all humans were implanted with a microchip? What sort of humans would we become? Would we even have a choice? As investment in microtechnologies increases and medical implants become widely accepted, the question arises of whether all humans might one day be implanted with such microchips. As a form of human enhancement, such technology could provide us with new abilities such as sensing where the North is, feeling earthquakes, exchanging information with a single touch, paying or opening doors with a swipe of the hand, … But what would it mean for society? What new social expectations would arise? Would we all be equal in the face of this microchip? In this workshop, we will arrange for an ‘encounter’ with this possible future – or, rather, these potential futures – by first identifying different scenarios about the place that this technology could take in society. Then, we will engage you as a participant in the futures wheel approach to analyze the multi-layered opportunities and risks linked to the widespread use of microchip implants to reflect on the social, economic, political, religious, environmental, legal, and other… implications of insertables, whilst at the same time remaining sensitive to the social inequalities this may introduce. As a participant, you will be invited to reflect with us on the potential of futures wheels as a method for analyzing far-edged implications of social innovation initiatives. We trust you will have acquired a skills base that allows you to practice and apply the approach to the future scenario’s that come out of your own research.