A man in the US state of Missouri has lost access to an electronic chip implanted in his palm after forgetting the password, in an incident that has revived debate over biohacking and the risks attached to embedded technology.
According to foreign media, the man, a molecular biologist and stage magician named Zi Teng Wang, had the RFID chip implanted several years ago in an attempt to enhance his performances and portray himself as a real-life cyborg. The device is now almost useless after he failed to recall the password needed to reprogramme it.
Wang explained the failure of the experiment in a recent post on Facebook. He noted that repeated attempts by others to locate an RFID reader in their phones by tapping them against his hand neither appeared mysterious nor magical. The practical value of the implant, he admitted, fell far short of his expectations, and he eventually abandoned the project.
At one point, Wang linked the chip, inserted between his thumb and index finger, to a Bitcoin address and attached a meme to the record. He then forgot about it, until the associated Imgur link unexpectedly returned online. When he attempted to reprogramme the chip, he discovered that he no longer knew the password.
Wang said, with humour, that although the Imgur link now worked again, he remained locked out of the technology inside his own body, which he described as painful yet comical.
After seeking advice from technologically skilled friends, he received only one practical suggestion: he might have to attach an RFID reader to his palm for days or even weeks and attempt every possible code through a brute-force method.
Although light-hearted, Wang’s experience has triggered fresh online discussion about the future of biohacking, especially as companies such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink advance towards implantable devices for the human brain. The case highlights the potential consequences when companies close, products become obsolete, or users forget the passwords to devices implanted in their own bodies.
