Sci-Fi Leuven: "What If We All Get Chipped?" Workshop w/ Charlotte Parion

Welcome to the IHL's Sci-fi book and movie club.

Exceptionally, this month's event is about Microchip Implants with a workshop titled "What If We All Get Chipped?" led by Charlotte Parion, a PhD student from KUL.

In her words:

You will be invited to a 2-hours workshop (might be less) in which we will investigate the potential future implications of the widespread implantation of microchips or other technologies (the scenario in question will be presented at the start of the session) in human bodies for non-medical purposes.

This makes part of my PhD project where I study the (future) use and societal implications of non-medical implants. I aim to shed light on how to implement these technologies in a way that contributes to building a fairer society and increasing people’s well-being in work and life. This study should allow us to better understand the positive and negative long-term implications of human enhancement (and insertables in particular) and what policy-makers, employers, technology producers, researchers and citizens need to be mindful about when envisioning the development of these emerging technologies.

During the workshop, you will be confronted to a scenario of a future society where most people have microchips or other technologies implanted under their skin. It will be written in a circle on a large sheet of paper. You will then be asked to think (and write down around the circle), in groups of 4-6 people, about the potential implications it can have from a social, political, economic, legal, environmental, ... point of view (both positive and negative implications). For every consequence identified, each group will then be asked to identify and write down the consequences that would ensue from this first set of consequences. There will then be a final round of iteration to identify even longer-term consequences. This is called the Futures Wheel method.

At the end of the workshop, you will be able to present your thinking to the other groups and reflect on each group’s contribution.

The discussions will take place in English. Are you wondering how Thomas (as a moderator) will go about with the discussions? See books&babble’s very helpful guidelines:[ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-52rt7q9pVWTwgBhhbCxymrrD6b-q3De/view?usp=sharing](https://antispam.leuven.be/fmlurlsvc/?fewReq=:B:JVMxOj47MS19NjklOy1ibzY7OjE7Oi14Ymxlan9+eW42aDk4Pj4/O2g4OTxqOm5pODppOG85PG5qPjg6OD48Mj87aj46OTs/PC1/Njo9PD47Ojs7OzgtemJvNjg7X0xcZG0zOzg6Oj88Jjg7X0xcZG1KOzg6Oj88LXloe382SmVlaiVfeWJ7e0tnbn59bmUlaW4taDY5Py1jb2c2Ow==&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F1-52rt7q9pVWTwgBhhbCxymrrD6b-q3De%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing)

Registration is required so we know how many people to expect.

If you sign up and can no longer come, PLEASE let us know in advance. This is a volunteer initiative and it is important to respect their time put into organization and preparation.

Hope to see you soon at Sci-fi Leuven!