Implanting microchips in humans, online voting and the sense of the decreasing importance of geographical borders are just a few recent changes in global society — thanks to advances in information technology, an Iowa State professor said.

Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science, spoke to a group of 14 Friday about the advantages and dangers of experimenting with new technology and the impact of information technology on the political world.

“If it can be done, we’re going to do it,” he said. “If the government and society don’t discuss the implications, then we’re going to make mistakes.”

He said a promotional campaign to implant ID chips into humans has recently been launched.

The program, called “Get Chipped,” will work by transmitting the identification information in the chip to a database containing a file on the person with the implant, he said.

Schmidt said the chip could be a good thing for society.

“There are a lot of people we’d like to keep track of,” he said. “I think there are advantages to it.”

Prisoners, Alzheimer patients, military soldiers, or children could all be implanted to allow the monitoring of their whereabouts, Schmidt said.

The chips could also add convenience to everyday life.

“It allows us quicker access to buildings where there’s security concerns,” Schmidt said.

He also said implanting ID chips could make it more difficult for terrorists to move freely, prevent ATM fraud and identify bodies after an accident.

Schmidt said the full implications of what the chip could do in society are not understood.

“We don’t know what the answers are, but we know what some of the questions are,” he said. “The idea is sort of creepy.”

Schmidt said e-voting, or voting over the Web, is another area of information technology that is beginning to be explored.

E-voting, he said, would allow handicapped people or people in remote locations to exercise their right to vote without actually going to the polls.

However, he said there are a lot of current concerns with e-voting.

“We’re worried about security when we vote,” he said. “There is concern about the [financial] cost of all this.”

He said faulty equipment and the unequal access of information technology to voters could also pose problems.

Schmidt said information technology is also responsible for breaking down geographical borders and making citizenship more portable.

“People are not necessarily tied to being citizens in a geo-centric way,” he said. “Geographical borders are not necessary.”

He cited the ability to vote, work on taxes, and get information online as proof that geographical borders are not as limiting as they once were.

Although there are risks involved with advances in information technology, Schmidt said a democratic government should be able to make rational decisions.

“If you have a government that’s accountable and responsible, then these developments probably won’t limit your civil liberties,” he said. “We have to ask questions about the consequences of all this. What we do know is that this is going to transpire.”

Jon Malm, graduate student in computer science who attended the speech, said Schmidt did a good job of relating societal and technological issues.

“He brings up some really pertinent issues,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment with Schmidt.”