Along with the growing impact of rapidly advancing technology on human life, interest in improving human abilities has increased. ‘Human augmentation’ refers to human-computer integration technology, aiming to restore, supplement, or even exceed human potential. As such, human augmentation may be used by anyone, ranging from people who face an impairment or a dangerous situation to healthy people who want to improve their current capabilities or even acquire abilities that are beyond normal human capabilities. This article introduces the field of human augmentation by discussing definitions of human augmentation and related terms.

We are already experiencing an increase in our natural abilities thanks to wearable devices, such as smartwatches and smartphones. 

As the first computer terminals were the object of much expectation, it was natural that they opened the possibility for further discussion and, finally, the emergence of the term human augmentation. However, Engelbart delves deeper and details how human capabilities can be extended from four ways: artifacts, language, methodology, and training; and thus identifies its existence for centuries ago.

Innovations in human augmentation will occur on three action fronts.

Use cases for human augmentation in industry

Many startups have different approaches to this technology, some like Kernel and NextMind, work without the need for implantation through surgery, while others already have invasive methods, such as Neuralink.

There is also a lot of optimism about the evolution of artificial intelligence in the job market. Today much has been discussed on AI assisting a skilled workforce, and there is truth in that statement. So, it is obvious that many jobs will become obsolete, but the potential for creating new ones, and the support in many existing ones, brings a new, much more interesting prism about the arrival of robots to our work routine. 

This scenario demands the participation of more professionals specializing in ethics and legal issues involving human augmentation.

Competition in general, both between individuals and between businesses, is one subject likely to gain more space in the discussion among policymakers — how far can we allow human augmentation to become something that unbalances the game for those able to pay for more?

 

In addition to creating customized solutions for large law firms, machine learning tools have reduced bureaucracy in legal proceedings for the final client. Therefore, as much as there is a concern that technological advances will replace human material in law firms, this is still a half-truth. Such powerful technology could facilitate our lives in the future, but it could also end in an unmanageable and frightening nightmare. With the current ubiquitousness of sensors, connected devices, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI), the privacy of individuals could be breached at unparalleled levels.