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Future Prisons: Can artificial memories replace long-term incarceration?
The new prison concept involves bombarding criminals with fake memories from the standpoint of their victims. Photo Credit: Hashem Al-Ghaili
As criminal justice systems grapple with the ineffectiveness of traditional jail un deterring crime, a radical new idea has emerged. Scientist, Hashem Al-Ghaili, has created a device called Cognify which seeks to offer a futuristic prison paradigm that may significantly reduce jail terms by implanting synthetic memories of crimes—as seen by their victims—into the minds of offenders.
This innovation intends to create genuine sorrow and avoid reoffending, perhaps revolutionising how society approaches rehabilitation.
The arguments
Al-Ghaili argues that Cognify could revolutionize rehabilitation by providing a more profound understanding and emotional experience of the crime, which might be more effective than traditional incarceration in preventing reoffending.
Ethical considerations
However, the idea of implanting artificial memories raises ethical questions about the manipulation of a person’s mind and the potential long-term psychological impacts.
Cost-benefit analysis
While Cognify could lower the costs associated with maintaining prison facilities and supporting inmates, the initial investment in such advanced technology and its maintenance could be substantial.
Human rights concerns
The concept could face significant opposition from human rights groups who might argue that artificially inducing emotions and memories could be considered a form of psychological torture.
Public perception
Acceptance of such a radical change in the criminal justice system would require significant public and political support, which might be challenging to achieve given the ethical and moral implications.
Scalability and implementation
Implementing Cognify on a large scale would require extensive research, testing, and validation to ensure its effectiveness and safety, posing logistical and financial challenges.
Potential for abuse
There is a risk that such technology could be misused or abused, either by overzealous authorities or by malicious actors, necessitating stringent regulations and oversight.
The facts
Cognify involves a VR-like device that shows AI-generated footage of the crime, along with a brain implant that induces emotions like remorse or regret, which some individuals might not naturally experience.
According to a 6 minutes video shared on YouTube, the implanted memories would be designed to be permanent, ensuring long-term effects of the therapy.
The United States currently has over 1.7 million incarcerated individuals. Despite the belief that prisons deter future crimes, over 100 studies in 2021 indicated that incarceration does not effectively prevent reoffending.
Implementation and operation
To identify neurological circuits, prisoners would receive high-resolution brain scans. Subsequently, the Cognify apparatus would concentrate on distinct brain areas accountable for memory, reasoning, and deductive reasoning.
Visual and physical stimulation
In order to elicit a greater sense of regret, the system might also recreate the victims’ physical agony and display AI-generated recollections of past crimes.
Data collection and privacy
Sensitive information would be stored in an encrypted manner by a central computer that would gather data to comprehend criminal activity.
Cost and efficiency
The concept suggests that Cognify could significantly reduce the costs associated with traditional prisons, including construction, maintenance, staffing, and prisoner care.
