Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the remote-controlled contraceptive computer chip. Releasing measured doses of the levonorgestrel hormone, these computer chips can be implanted under a woman’s skin as a new form of birth control, presumably starting in 2018. While there are certainly other types of contraceptives that can be implanted under a woman’s skin, the only way to “deactivate” those contraceptives is to have an outpatient procedure. This new computer chip, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is set to release the hormone for up to 16 years –but, it can be stopped anytime using a wireless remote control and then reactivated when desired.

However, the big question is the security of the chip. The team at MIT is working to ensure that the chips cannot be hacked, which could lead to activation or deactivation of the chip without the woman’s knowledge. To address this concern, as of now, the chip can only be reprogrammed at “skin contact level distance.” The team will also ensure that the communications between the chip and the remote are transmitted via secure encryption.

The team hopes that this type of technology can be used to administer many other kinds of drugs as well. The computer chip will be submitted for preclinical testing starting next year.