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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The future of the digital body: possibilities and challenges
Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Narine L. Wiegel
Ostrovityanova str., 1, Moscow, 117997, Russia; ur.liam@aran22
Author contribution: authors made an equal contribution to writing the article.
The presented study delves into the concept of the digital body within the context of modern technologies and their impact on the society, culture and personality. A digital body is defined as a representation of a physical body in virtual reality, augmented reality, and on other digital platforms. The article reviews opportunities for health support, self-expression, expansion of human experience, and social connections in the digital space provided by digital bodies. The authors also explore numerous challenges faced by the society when digital bodies are introduced. These include data safety, ethical dilemmas related to identity and privacy, as well as implications for mental health and social structure. The article makes predictions about the future of digital bodies stressing that an interdisciplinary approach is required to solve the arising issues. The aim of the analysis is to attract attention to the complex dynamic relationship between technology innovation and human experience, as well as to shape awareness about how digital bodies can transform our society within the next ten years.
Keywords: health, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, ethics, future of the digital body, technologies, biometric data, digital identity, security, privacy