[ad_1]
A new patent application from Microsoft details a way to use bodily functions, such as brain activity, to mine cryptocurrency.
The application, titled “Cryptocurrency System Using Body Activity Data”, explains how “a brain wave or body heat emitted by the user when the user performs the activity provided by an information service provider , such as displaying an advertisement or using certain Internet services, may be used in the extraction process. “
By tracking brainwaves when someone watches an advertisement, Microsoft hopes to use the generated data as a “proof of work.” This is the validation of a transaction, or the completion of an activity, in a blockchain system and how the creation of currency is validated in a cryptocurrency model.
“Instead of the massive computational work required by some conventional cryptocurrency systems, the data generated based on the user’s bodily activity can be proof of work, and thus, a user can subconsciously solve the computationally difficult problem. “, continues the patent. To access this validation data, the human user should have a sensor connected or installed in their body. Microsoft expects users to be rewarded for allowing their body tracking in this way by paying them in cryptocurrency for performing specific tasks.
In addition to brain waves and heat, the patent also suggests using “body fluid flow” and “organ activity and movement” to track a range of activities, including social media usage, search engines, email, visiting websites or using chatbots. It remains to be seen what will happen with this patent; although it was released a month ago, it is still to be granted. Even then, as The Register notes, large tech companies predominantly use patents as a means of defending themselves against future copyright infringements, rather than turning them directly into products, so it’s possible this won’t see the light in the consumer space.
