Scientists and doctors have long realized that our everyday waste can provide valuable insights into our health and wellbeing. But for most people, going to the bathroom is part of their routine, and they'd rather have a quick flush. Fortunately, a new batch of "smart toilets" is hitting the market, offering analytics to the most discerning consumers.

Smart toilets are by no means a new idea, but in recent years, Dr. Seung-min Park, an instructor in Stanford University's Department of Urology Medicine, has begun to ponder the ethical issues we might face once stool and urine scanning devices become commonplace. "There are growing privacy concerns and ethical considerations about how AI-related devices can spy on you," Park told LAMag. "It's a huge impetus to start thinking about how to use the system ethically and with privacy protection."

Regardless of what it can detect, human observation of our daily activities can ensure that we have access to an additional resource to maintain our health. Still, with the deluge of data we collect every day, Park said he worries about what might happen if a smart toilet leaks what is essentially medical information. Ultimately, however, the greatest immediate benefit the device will provide may be its ability to more pleasantly and accurately learn from our poop — without the need for us to analyze it ourselves.