Brits are the least likely to be optimistic about a future that includes ‘augmented people,’ compared to people in Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain, according to new research.

Human augmentation includes the use of bionic limbs, as well as self-augmentation, like inserting radio-frequency identification (RFID) or brain chips to provide ID, increase memory capacity or pay for public transport.

It’s important to note that the research does not distinguish between bionic limbs and self-augmentation when referring to human augmentation.

The study, carried out by Atomik Research and commissioned by security company Kaspersky, surveyed 6,500 adults across the seven European countries.

Although all the countries were wary of human augmentation, the UK had the lowest number of respondents that said they would be optimistic about a future that includes both augmented and non-augmented people, at just 24 per cent.

Italian and Spanish people most likely to be optimistic at 36 per cent, while the average of all seven countries was 32 per cent.

14 per cent of the UK adults surveyed said they would be opposed to working with an augmented person, due to them having a perceived unfair advantage in the workplace.

While 36 per cent of Brits said they believe that people should be free to enhance their own body with this human augmentation technology, 38 per cent are concerned that human augmentation could lead to either future social inequality or conflict.

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