In the era of pervasive technology, NTT Data surprises with a project (I link it here) on the border between avant-garde and ethics: the opening of a capsule hotel where guests' sleep is not only a service, but also a precious source of data.
The initiative, the result of a collaboration with Google Fitbit and the hotel chain nine hours, could revolutionize the way we think about our health and night's rest. The question however, as the good Antonio Lubrano would have said, arises spontaneously: Are we faced with a step forward in innovation or yet another incursion into the private sphere of individuals?
Technology at the service of rest
The hotel, equipped with cutting-edge technologies, uses sensors developed by NTT Labs to visualize the internal rhythms of the human body. These sensors, combined with infrared cameras and microphones, can estimate body temperature and detect body movements during sleep.
In addition to recording these metrics, guests can add metrics measured with a Fitbit wearable device.
Consent and privacy: a delicate balance in the “spy” hotel
A crucial aspect of this project is consensus. Hotel guests have the option to choose whether or not to participate in this sleep monitoring. Those who agree receive a detailed analysis of their sleep, complete with personalized advice to improve the quality of their rest.
NTT Data (guess what?) ensures that all personal information will be removed from its databases before it is sold to third parties, including consumer goods manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Yes, huh.
A nice cute market
NTT Data's ambition doesn't stop there. The company plans to turn this project into a 30 billion yen (about 200 million euro) enterprise by 2030. The goal? Offer personalized healthcare services, including pre-symptomatic treatments and online medical consultations. And who knows, maybe advertising even while we sleep.
The ethical question that emerges is palpable. While there is the opportunity to improve the quality of sleep and, consequently, overall health, on the other hand there is the question of surveillance and use of personal data. And the “complicated relationship” between technological innovation and respect for personal privacy will become increasingly relevant in our increasingly connected world.
What are you doing? Are you going there?
The hotel in Tokyo, which will open in July 2024, is only the first of a very long series. The plan calls for expansion into 30.000 hotel rooms, to monitor the sleep of ten million people by 2027.
NTT Data's project is a prime example of how technology can enter previously unexplored spheres of private life. I already know that some will see it as an exciting opportunity to improve their health, others as an unwanted intrusion. What is the right balance between the desire for technological progress and the need to protect our privacy?
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