Scientists unveil implant for prisoners to show them 'memories' from their victim's perspective
Topics: Technology, Science, Crime, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Hashem Al-Ghaili
Topics: Technology, Science, Crime, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality
With the recent advancements in technology, it's becoming incredible what scientists are now able to achieve.
While that is pretty scary for a lot of folks, there's no doubt we are entering the realms of the future.
And certainly proving that is the fact that a scientist has unveiled a concept for a prison of the future that he says would fast-track a criminal's release to minutes, rather than years or even decades.
Known as Cognify, the design would implant synthetic memories of a person's crime into their brain.
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The catch? The piece of kit would be showing their victim's perspective.
The futuristic system could feature a VR-like device that displays AI-generated footage of the offence the criminal has committed.
That could then be coupled with a brain implant that induces emotional states like remorse or regret - emotions you wouldn't expect a killer, for example, to ever experience by themselves.
Concept developer Hashem Al-Ghaili has bold plans for the technology, as he hopes the long-term effects of the therapy session will make memories permanent.
Officials have said for what feels like years now that prison deters offenders from future crime, though more than 100 studies conducted in 2021 found that it does not prevent people from reoffending.
Al-Ghaili is hoping to change all of this via a prison that will help criminals learn from their troubled past.
Explaining exactly how the concept will work, a narrative video said: "Cognify could someday create and implant artificial memories directly into the prisoner’s brain.
"These complex, vivid and life-like memories are created in real-time using AI-generated content."
The rehabilitation would last for several minutes, but will likely feel like years to the criminal.
"Inside the criminal’s mind, time would pass differently slower than in real life, making them experience years-worth," the video shared.
Before embarking on the therapy, prisoners undergo high-resolution brain scanning that creates a detailed map of their neural pathways.
This allows Cognify to focus on specific brain regions responsible for memory, reasoning and logical thinking.
These are found in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, parietal lobe and anterior cingulate cortex.
On top of all these visual effects, the tech could also stimulate a physical response by letting the offender feel the pain and suffering their victim endured.
"Some memories are designed to trigger consequences and trauma," the video added.
"Such memories could simulate the long-term consequences of violent actions, such as the grief of the victim's family or the physical and emotional trauma endured by the victim."