Project: DEAD EYE

GRANT REQUEST FOR NEURAL AND NECRO-NEURAL INTERROGATIVE TECHNOLOGY

PROBLEM

There currently exists no tried-and-true method of information retrieval from suspects and victims of serious criminal activity; suspects (and victims) are capable of deceiving law enforcement personnel, and the effectiveness of current interrogative methods produce variable results per individual. This unpredictability is further compounded by the advent of commercial transhumanism and augmentation - modification of self has become incredibly commonplace, to the extent that it reduces the effectiveness of physical and psychological interrogative methods by law enforcement due to the resistances these alterations create.

SOLUTION

The concept of neural implant technology is not new; many people, both in public and private sectors, are host to various technologies that enhance memory and cognitive functions already. What the proposed solution entails is the development of a secondary technology designed to interface with such devices (as well as the brain directly, should subjects lack these devices).

This technology will act as a one-way neural link between an operator, typically an investigator, and subjects; operators will have full-spectrum memory access in order to ascertain the full scope of the nature of a crime or incident from perpetrators and victims - regardless of their communicative abilities, state of consciousness or even whether or not the subjects are still alive.

The benefit in using human operators for this technology allows for a much more empathetic and nuanced approach to evidence retrieval and analysis; a degree of tact that is oftentimes needed (and underutilised) in serious cases where emotional input cannot be replicated by a machine.

Due to the invasive nature of this method, a Use Protocol will also be devised and proposed, which defines use standards that are to be enforced not only by operators but also by the hardware and software itself where applicable.

A proposition for the Use Protocol is as follows:

Full-spectrum memory access is deemed lawful and appropriate IF:

  • there is a clear indication that the person(s) is/are key suspect(s) in a serious crime and there is a refusal to cooperate with personnel,
  • the person(s) is/are unable to communicate to personnel and is/are (a) suspect(s) or (a) victim(s) of a serious crime,
  • the person(s) is/are deceased and are therefore unable to provide a statement to personnel

BUSINESS CASE

Profits from the technology would initially come from partner groups of interest; as the technology and its use protocols become more refined, it will be extended to mundane government bodies and eventually civilian law enforcement. A significant reduction in unsolved crimes will provide incentive for the purchasing of such technology, and may eventually lead to an overall dissuasion from, and reduction in, severe incidents and crime among groups of interest and civilian bodies alike.

USE OF FUNDING

Working prototypes are expected to be completed by the end of a period of 13 months; deriving this from pre-existing frameworks for neural implant technology, it is estimated this will initially cost around $30,000,000 USD.

A multidisciplinary team will be involve over the course of development; a group of 24 personnel consisting of neuroscientists, bio-engineers, cyberneticists and psychologists will be the primary makeup of the development team for the project. Each team member will earn a baseline salary of approximately $9,100 USD per month.

Conditioning and training of specialist personnel to operate the technology will cost an additional $8,000 per month per individual; an initial 5 personnel will be trained in the useage of the prototype technology over a period of 12 months. Should trials prove successful, further refinements may be proposed.

KNOWN ISSUES

A few issues have been identified with the current proposal, which have been addressed to the best of our ability.

Issue 1: Ethical concerns with regards to perpetrators and victims have been raised, due in large part to the nature of neural access both in living and deceased subjects. We intend to address this by not only establishing clear protocols of use, but by also imposing hardware and software limitations where applicable.

Issue 2: Psychological well-being of the operator remains of concern regardless of imposed limitations. To combat this, operators will be rigorously trained to withstand significant psychological duress. Should this training prove insufficient, the hardware and software will automatically disconnect an operator from a subject under particular physical conditions - typically if the heart rate is measured in excess of 180 BPM, in conjunction with elevated stress hormone levels.

Issue 3: The hardware used by operators to interface with subjects will need to be engineered for two particular scenarios: hardware-to-hardware interfacing, and direct brain interfacing.

While pre-existing neural ports are typically standardized the existence of outliers - however rare - must be accounted for, as much as the lack thereof. The proposed solution is as follows:

Hardware-to-hardware interfacing is to be standardized to the most common form of neural access port (9AXO); a procedure not unlike a cerebral shunt will be utilized for direct access. The hardware will deliver a probe direct to the brain via sterilized shunt that will allow an operator to neurally access a subject.

Due to the nature of the probe-shunt method, subjects will need medical intervention to prevent accidental overdrainage of the cranium. Operators will need appropriate training in order to deliver the probe in the correct location non-lethally.