Fast Company Writer and Producer John Converse Townsend got microchipped back in October 2017. He's now had the smart chip inside his body for three months and explains the capabilities and opportunity behind this new technology.
"It's been fun," says Townsend. "I do have it programmed currently to call my girlfriend." Townsend explains he can tap his phone to the chip to then make a phone call. In the future he says the chip could be used to make mobile payments.
The chip can be compared to the size of a Basmati rice grain. Townsend got the idea to test out a microchip after interviewing Wisconsin-based Three Square Market who has offered to microchip their employees.
The global semiconductor shortage is actively hurting numerous industries, with the auto industry itself on pace to lose $210 billion by the end of the year. Brad Wimmer, EVP at Auto Lenders, joined Cheddar to discuss a White House meeting surrounding chip shortages and how industries can find a way to move forward. He noted that the end of the shortage is unlikely if the U.S. continues to depend on outside manufacturers. "We need consistent momentum and clarity, and we do not have that right now," Wimmer said. "So, I think this is going to continue into 2023."
