THE WALKING DEAD

'The Walking Dead' metaphorically refers to an individual who is alive but destined for a grim fate, which may stem from factors like a terminal illness, a death sentence, impending suicide or murder, a state of despair, or emotional distress and depression.

I had an experience on a journey from Lekki Phase 1 to Iyana Oworo in a car shared with two other passengers. It was evident that the driver had just finished work and was picking up passengers to earn some extra money, a common practice among private car owners commuting from the mainland to the Island. For reasons unknown, this driver was furious right from the start. His anger seemed to be directed at the entire world, as he complained incessantly about everything and everyone on the road that day. A dispute erupted between him and one of the passengers over change, and he vented his frustrations on that passenger. While the passenger tried to remain composed, our driver continued to hurl insults at him.

When we reached our final destination, this man pulled over and blocked the passenger from exiting, threatening physical violence. The passenger barely touched him in an attempt to free himself, but the driver collapsed. Initially, we assumed he had merely stumbled and even chuckled at his apparent lack of stamina despite causing trouble. However, he remained motionless on the ground. Everything unfolded rapidly, with street vendors, passersby, and traffic enforcement officers gathering around. I overheard people asking, "Ki lę fi se?" which translates to "What did you do?" in Yoruba. In my thoughts, I pondered, 'Ę' bi ti bawo?. 'Ę is a collective pronoun, we've become suspects. The guy, now anxious, turned to us and with a pleading tone "şebi nnah dey there naw, I no do anything"...

Me in my mind: "You and who dey where??..lol

Fortunately, the driver was revived, and as soon as I saw him sit up, I seized the opportunity to escape the crowd and boarded the next yellow bus. In a country where suspects and eyewitnesses can spend years awaiting trial, I knew better than to linger. During that bus ride, I contemplated what might have transpired if he hadn't regained consciousness. In our highly superstitious society, people might have speculated that the passenger had used some cursed ring, or worse, labeled us all as ritualists and the driver as our victim. How would we prove our innocence? You go explain tire, no evidence. It's akin to being wrongly diagnosed with psychosis and being confined to a psychiatric facility. The more you attempt to assert your sanity, the madder you appear and they triple your dosage. 

In my mind's eye, I now see that driver—dressed in decent shoes, pants, a white shirt, a nice tie, and a well-groomed beard—but he was a walking dead man. A powerful punch, a hard fall to the ground, and I doubt he would have survived. There's a reason law enforcement warns suspects that anything they say can be used against them in court. When foul play is suspected in a person's death, investigators often focus their attention on individuals who had disagreements with the deceased or those who had threatened them. The perpetrator might even be the one to provide the names of known adversaries. I was once advised that when pushed to the wall with adversity, it's wise to assess whether the wall can be navigated more easily by finding a way around it, rather than retaliating against the one causing the difficulty.  In other words, confrontation is rarely the best or the first option in your arsenal. 

In addition, if you are mistreating and assaulting someone, depriving them of what rightfully belongs to them, and there is a heap of evidence to support these actions, you can effectively turn that person into a dead man walking. This carries the same weight as firing the fatal bullet. We all experience anger, but it is how we handle disagreements that reveals our capacity for cruelty. While anger is a natural emotion, becoming wicked is a title that requires a profound level of malevolence, and it's assigned based on how one deals with conflicts or your level of control over certain dark traits like envy and jealousy.

In all circumstances, it is essential to resolve disputes and manage anger without resorting to .evil. And when foul play is suspected, who else can we blame or suspect but the wicked?

Neurotechnology has evolved immensely in recent years and is poised to revolutionize our interaction with technology as we know it. Leading tech companies worldwide are heavily investing in the convergence of neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI), resulting in the development of devices capable of both "reading" human brain activity and "writing" neural information into the brain.

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), also known as a Neural Control Interface, empowers individuals to control computers and devices directly through their thoughts using either Invasive or Non-invasive EEG-BCI devices. Invasive systems involve brain-implanted chips, while non-invasive ones utilize electrode-carrying devices. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a diagnostic test used to measure electrical activity in the brain. According to an article on Republic.com, BCIs like Elon Musk’s Neuralink utilize electrodes to read electrical signals produced by neurons in the brain, translating these signals into actions or movements. BCIs can predict a person's next action based on their brain signals, identifying patterns from recurring thoughts or words. EEG can also capture a strong brain pattern known as the P-300 wave, triggered when a person recognizes something. Consequently, these systems can make more accurate and intuitive AI predictions regarding a user's intentions.

 Back in 2007, NeuroSky introduced the initial cost-effective EEG device for consumers, coinciding with the launch of the game "NeuroBoy." The Adventures of NeuroBoy is a gaming experience that tracks your brain activity using a Bluetooth headset, which they call the "MindSet."  Since then, there have been significant advancements in the field, with companies like 'g.tec commercializing products like Intendix-SPELLER in 2012, offering BCI systems for home use that can control computer games and apps with an impressive accuracy rate of 99%.

In April 2021, Neuralink shared a  video showcasing a monkey playing ping pong using its mind. Facebook, too, has been at the forefront of BCI technology, recently acquiring the neural interface technology start-up, CTRL-Labs for an estimated sum ranging from US$500 million to $1 billion.

This technological progress has opened new avenues for disabled individuals, enabling them to use their brain signals to interact with systems that facilitate speech, hearing, communication, walking, and object manipulation. One such example is the cochlear implant, a neuro-prosthesis that transmits sound signals to the brain to stimulate the auditory nerve. Elon Musk, in an interview with Joe Rogan, highlighted the transformative possibilities offered by Neuralink, such as potential solutions for epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Brain repair and enhancement are becoming increasingly feasible, and communication may evolve beyond language, potentially rendering it obsolete in the future. These developments mark our evolution into a new era of cyborgs, with tech companies racing to pioneer the next stage of human evolution.

Now, consider the concept of Neuromarketing which is the purpose of this article: Tech companies aim to anticipate your desires even before you search for them. The current understanding of internet algorithms is based on factors such as your past searches, location, browser, demographics, and group interactions, all of which tailor your digital experience. However, EEG interfaces rely solely on brain signals, becoming increasingly accurate over time. This raises the question of whether our desires for products are genuine thoughts or AI suggestions influenced by our brain signals as interpreted by an implant or external device. While this question may seem futuristic, it poses a valid concern, especially in a world already inundated with unsolicited content. If two of your friends like a product, you might receive the same product suggestion as a pop-up ad on Facebook. What if Facebook or Google gain access to our brain signals?

The most advanced legislatures worldwide still struggle to fully protect human privacy from technology. The existing laws concerning AI are insufficient, and this is just one of the many concerns we must address as neurotechnology becomes more commercialized.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario from https://www.nature.com/articles/551159a: "A paralyzed individual participates in a clinical trial obtain–computeruter interface (BCI). A computer, connected to a chip in the brain, interprets neural activity resulting from mental rehearsals of actions. The computer generates commands that control a robotic arm. One day, the individual, frustrated with the experimental team, experiences an incident where the robotic hand crushes a cup, causing harm to a research assistant. Apologizing for what they believe might be a malfunction of the device, they question whether their frustration influenced the outcome."

If a more serious incident occurred, where a person with a brain implant engaged in sporadic violence and blamed it on the device, would any existing laws cover this scenario? Furthermore, could BCIs be infiltrated by hackers or manipulated for malicious purposes? While it is true that this technology currently relies on invasive devices, it's worth considering the possibility of non-invasive BCI gadgets, particularly in the context of Neuromarketing.

I am not an alarmist, but I'm genuinely intrigued by the possibilities and challenges presented by the intersection of technology and neuroscience especially in marketing. We must acknowledge that the right to cognitive liberty, as evidenced by the level of privacy protection individuals have while connected to the internet is already at risk. The commercialization of neuro-devices demands new laws and ethical guidelines to address the ethical and legal challenges posed by this rapidly advancing field.