Why Should We Learn About Human Digital Twins (HDTs)?

The concept of Human Digital Twins (HDTs) is gaining popularity in theoretical discussions and among researchers. As individuals who are part of a fast moving digital society, it is important that you stay on top of these concepts. By knowing where the world is heading, you can better prepare yourself to adapt to the future, or better, capitalize on the opportunities the changes bring.

Understanding Human Digital Twins (HDTs)

Human Digital Twins (HDTs) is a concept that exists within the theoretical framework of society 5.0. Society 5.0 is an envisioned future where technology and people work together to improve the lives of people. This happens through HDTs, which are the digital replicas of people. These digital replicas of humans will interact with the real world through technology to improve the lives of their non-digital or source selves.

Our HDTs or virtual versions, will be used to comprehend and optimize our engagements with technology. To simplify, if you are a gamer, your HDT will be used to build games around your playing style, in order to enhance your gaming experience. Or, a company may use HDTs to design machines which are simpler to use for target audience. This is quite a turn from industry 4.0., when humans learned how to use technology. This approach is more human-centric. The goal here is to use technology to improve the experience of humans.

While there is no example of fully developed HDT to be found yet, there are some early-stage examples. This includes, devices like smartwatches that collects data on an individual’s various activities, including exercise, sleep, menstrual cycle, etc.

Types of Human Digital Twins (HDTs)

To better understand HDTs and their role in Society 5.0, HDTs are divided into four main categories. These categories are based on their functions and capabilities. Following are the four main categories:

Specialized HDTs: These digital twins focus on one specialized area. They are not an entire replica of a person, but are centered on a particular domain, such as healthcare. For example, a specialized HDT for a person with hypertension, will only collect information on their health, such as, diet, exercise routine, etc. This information will be used to make predictions and custom plans. The specialized HDT will not collect information about other aspects of the person, such as their social life, hobbies, etc.

Full Body HDTs: This is a virtual copy of you and incorporates facets of yourself like your emotions and thoughts.

Independent HDTs: These are virtual copies of humans that are not necessarily bound to a single human and can act independently. Additionally, they are not static either. They register information and consequently, learn and grow. These HDTs can provide advisory services.

Group HDTs: These are digital copies of a cluster of people rather than individuals, e.g. a group HDT of a basketball team or residents of New York City.

How Can The Human Digital Twins (HDTs) Benefit Society?

The introduction of HDTs is poised to revolutionize various aspects of society, particularly in the United States.

Healthcare

By creating precise digital replicas of individuals, HDTs can significantly enhance personalized healthcare. For instance, doctors can use HDTs to simulate different treatment plans and predict their outcomes, leading to more effective and tailored medical interventions. This not only improves patient care but also reduces healthcare costs by minimizing trial-and-error approaches.

Urban Planning

HDTs have the potential to transform urban planning and infrastructure development. City planners can utilize these digital twins to model and analyze the impact of new projects on traffic flow, environmental sustainability, and public safety. By doing so, they can make data-driven decisions that optimize resource allocation and improve the quality of life for residents. This technology can also aid in disaster management by simulating emergency scenarios and preparing more efficient response strategies.

Education

In the realm of education, HDTs can offer personalized learning experiences. Educators can use digital twins to understand students' learning styles and adapt teaching methods accordingly. This individualized approach can help address educational disparities and ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed. Additionally, HDTs can facilitate remote learning by providing virtual environments that mimic real-world classrooms, making education more accessible and engaging.

Companies working on creating and using HDTs have high bandwidth internet requirements. They are working with people’s private data and therefore, require a safe internet connection. Imperial Fiber is the optimal choice for these companies, offering lightning fast internet speeds to handle large amount of data used in the creation of HDTs. Our internet connection is secure, so that businesses can work worry-free.  

Ethical Implications of Human Digital Twins (HDTs)

While HDTs are being developed for the good of society, it is important to consider the risks they pose. Following are the potential problems that are associated with using HDTs:

Dependency: We might become overly dependent on our virtual copies, forgetting how to do things ourselves. As a result, it might hamper our creativity and autonomy.

Privacy Concern: Our digital selves contain a lot of data about us, including some sensitive information. Therefore, we need to devise mechanisms to protect and control the use of our information.

Question of ownership: One of the major questions that needs to be answered is the ownership of digital copies. Should the twinned human own it or someone else?

Accountability: If HDTs can act on their own, then who is responsible for the actions of HDT? This is a big question that has not been answered yet.

Due to these unanswered questions and ethical implications, it is important that we use HDTs carefully.

Regulating the Use of Human Digital Twins (HDTs)

While HDTs can be highly beneficial in improving our lives, it is important that we establish rules and guidelines to use them. With proper guidelines on the subject, we can extract maximum benefit from this advance technology while ensuring that it does not cause any harm.

Conclusion

It is important, we stay on top of technology news, so that we are prepared to adapt to it when the time comes. Society 5.0 is the future, and HDTs are the main component of it.

HDTs are the digital copies of humans. These copies have information regarding their twinned humans that can then be used to improve various experiences for humans themselves. This includes, urban planning, healthcare plans, etc. 

HDTs offer a lot of benefits. They can improve our lives, tremendously. However, at the same time, they also pose various risks. Therefore, it is important that this technology be used carefully. Rules and regulations should be designed to limit the potential problems it pose. HDTs are exciting, but we should be careful to not lose touch with our humanity.

Imperial Fiber offers high-speed internet and reliable connectivity to support your HDT projects. Contact us at 800-660-2639 to sign up with Imperial Fiber today. Multiple affordable plans are available to choose from.