University of Utah electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Jacob George was recently featured on the Brown Journal of World Affairs Podcast to discuss his work on bionic prostheses, commercialization of new technology, and key challenges in the field. The Brown Journal of World Affairs is a semiannual journal that features articles and interviews with world leaders, policymakers, and prominent academics.
In his episode, George highlights his research on bionic prosthetics and his lab’s hope to expand and eventually commercialize prosthetics that connect with the patient’s nervous system, giving them increased sensory capacities.
“It’s so great to see all of the public interest in neural technology these days,” says George. “With Sci-Fi media like Terminator and Black Mirror, neural technology and artificial intelligence can often be misconstrued as apocalyptic – but this is hardly the case. Right now, neural technology is much more in line with Star Wars, where we are working to replace an amputee’s missing hand with a sophisticated bionic arm.”
“Podcasts like this are a great opportunity to engage and educate the public about what’s real now and what’s science fiction, and to help policy makers and voters make informed decisions to ensure the future technology we develop has a positive impact on society,” George said.
Tune in to George’s podcast episode on Spotify here or on RSS.com here.