AI & Nanobots in Medicine: Will You Drink the Nano-Koolaid?
Running through the Dummies list of the different types of nanobots that are being developed sends me down a thrilling road of wonder. What types of jobs can we have these bots take over for our bodies?
- Microbivore: Mimic white blood cells
- Respirocytes: Mimic red blood cells
- Clottocytes: Mimic blood platelets
- Cellular repair bots: Mimic surgical scalpels on a cellular level
- Medicine delivery bots: Target specific areas and attach themselves
Imagine combining all of those together, in a symbiotic symphony of regeneration throughout the entire body. This perfect little colony controlled by artificial intelligence and organized as a hive. It's been proposed before and we have recently taken quite a few leaps of progress. Scientists were able to deliver a concentrated and targeted dose of antibiotics to treat ulcers in a rat, without the negative side effects that normally come with the use of antibiotics. The bots were made of a magnesium core, wrapped in layer of antibiotics and then wrapped in an adhesive polymer that helped the bot stick to the affected area.
That's not the only recent breakthrough in the method of release. Another experiment involved the use of a cockroach who had the pleasure of being the recipient of a modified DNA bot containing a drug that was held in place until called upon by an electromagnetic "gate". The gate was opened by a thought generated by a human subject wearing an EEG headset. Ponder for a moment what that may mean. A simple thought could lead to a bot releasing medicine when needed.
It's not too far-fetched to think that one day very soon, there may be a nanobot that is pressure-sensitive that can administer Albuterol when they sense the airways constricting. No longer would a patient need to carry around or worry about losing an inhaler. Or, perhaps a micro dose of a psychoactive drug delivered directly to an area of the brain of a patient that suffers from a mental disorder.
So, let's say we all opt-in for this army of bots to cure all of our ailments in real-time. How can we possibly power this army? After all, it's not like they would need a lot of energy, right? A few solutions that have been proposed:
- Nuclear power
- Biological bots that eat tissue
- Chemical reactions with bloodstream
- Thermal energy from body heat
- Electromagnetic fields
In effect, this could have the potential of making us immortal. And we often see a very bleak outlook portrayed in media when we think of humans becoming immortal. But, what the creators of these dystopian futures fail to consider is the idea that with this amount of freedom, humans would no longer need to fight over many of the resources we currently fight over.
How about if you could no longer drown? would you decide to pack up and move to a house underwater? Perhaps a nice, peaceful lake or right off a sunny, warm beach build a cabana in the ocean. Consider being free from having to eat as bots would deliver nutrients directly to your cells. All you must do to survive is eat a spoonful of bots every day. Is it really that impossible to imagine?
I believe the potential positive implications of this technology will eventually far outweigh the negative. Yes, there is always the potential for abuse if the AI controlled hive is vulnerable to hacking or under the control of a corrupt government. So, it is more important than ever before for people to really sit up and take notice of these advancements. It's great to share a cool video on social media, but more action is required to make sure we keep this technology being used for the betterment of humanity, and not against it.
Will you drink the nano-koolaid?
