Euthanasia Pod Maker Wants To Create Implant That Activates Death When Forgotten

Earlier this month, 3D-printed euthanasia pods designed by “right-to-die” activist Dr Philip Nitschke and his nonprofit Exit International sparked a new round of debates after their invention was legalized in Switzerland. When a person enters the capsule, it rapidly replaces oxygen with nitrogen, inducing a quick and painless death as the process causes the individual to lose consciousness. To be entitled to use the chambers, however, individuals will have to pass a AI-powered mental capacity test.

The former physician’s next plan is to develop a body implant for people with degenerative brain conditions, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, who do not wish to continue living when the day comes that their illness is no longer manageable—that is, when they completely forget.

The medical device would send out audio reminders that would have to be switched off on a daily basis, proving that the user’s mind is still active. The implant would activate when the person forgets why they have to turn it off, perhaps after “a day or two.”

Dr Nitschke told the Independent, via Dazed, that he felt “uncomfortable” with the current option in some countries to “quite legally… fill out a bit of paper” indicating a wish to die should the individual’s mind no longer function, then “10 years later, a doctor can come along, read the bit of paper, and even though you don’t know which way is up or down, legally give you an injection and end your life.”

He said the implant would still give the person the power of choice to live or die every day, so long as the mind is still present.

For now, this is simply an idea—Dr Nitschke and his team still have no clue how to implement it. “The biggest [problems] right now are the technical barriers—we don’t know how to do it,” he admitted.

If you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please note that help is always available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. For helplines and resources in other countries, please visit here.

[via Dazed, cover image via Exit International]