The improvement of our own biology may seem like something out of science fiction category, but attempts to improve humanity, in fact, were made thousands of years ago. Every day we improve ourselves with laborious exercise, meditation or taking energy, like coffee or popular among students of nootropics. However, improved tools by which we improve our biology, are becoming more invasive, and effective.
Over the past ten to twenty years we have developed many powerful methods such as genetic engineering and brain-computer interfaces that override our humanity. In the short term, such improvement methods will find application in medicine and will cure many diseases and ailments. In addition, in the coming decades, they may allow us to improve their physical abilities or even to digitize human consciousness.
What’s new?
Many futurists claim that our devices, such as smartphones, already to some extent become an extension of our cerebral cortex and abstract form of improvement. According to the philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers, the technology we use to extend the limits of human consciousness beyond the skulls.
It can be argued that access to the smartphone increases human cognitive abilities and is an indirect form of self-improvement. It can be viewed as an abstract form of a brain-computer interface. In addition, the market for affordable wearable devices and computers, and people, for example athletes use them to enhance your progress.
However, these interfaces become less abstract.
Not long ago, Elon Musk announced the creation of a new company Neuralink, which will aim to merge human intelligence with artificial intelligence. Over the past few years in the field of hardware and software for brain-computer interface has changed remarkably. Experts are designing new electrodes and coding better algorithms to interpret the neural signals. Scientists have managed to give paralyzed patients the ability to type text with power of thought and even the thought of one brain to another using only brain waves.
Ethical issues improve
Of course, such improvements there are many social and ethical implications.
One of the most fundamental problems of cognitive and physical improvements is that they come in contradiction with the definition of strengths and successes that the society had relied for millennia. Many forms of performance-enhancing drugs and are considered forbidden.
Perhaps we should reconsider its attitude to such things.
For example, we used to appreciate hard work and talent properly so that the person worked in a certain way and have earned your reward. If you are talented and successful, it is usually due to the fact that you worked hard and tried not to miss the opportunity when it appeared. But by these standards how many achievements in fact, we can consider fair?
For example, the genetic lottery can have a huge impact on predisposition and personality, which in turn can affect factors such as motivation, reasoning and other mental abilities. Many people are born with natural skills or physical abilities that give them advantages in a certain area, or give them the opportunity to learn quickly. But how honest will assess the outstanding work of the person, if a large part did genes?
In addition, there are many ways in which we use “short strokes” to improve mental performance. Seemingly ordinary habits or actions, coffee, meditation, exercise or sleep – in fact significantly improve performance in any area and it is normally perceived by society. Even the language can have a positive physical and psychological impact on the human brain. Let’s also not forget that some of us are born with a greater access to literacy development than others.
For all of these reasons, it can be argued that cognitive abilities and talents now benefit more from uncontrolled factors and luck than we like to admit. In any case, brain-computer interfaces can promote individual autonomy and to allow selection of abilities.
As pointed out by Karim Jebari if to perform a specific role requires a certain characteristic or trait, and the person lacks this trait, would it be wrong to implement this feature using brain-computer interfaces or genetic engineering? How it will differ from traditional forms of learning and skill acquisition? This will remove the limitations of the individual that arose bonded, for example, due to biological factors (or even a traumatic experience).
Another important ethical issue is equality. As with any new technology, there are strong concerns that the technology of cognitive improvements will benefit only the rich, exacerbating existing inequalities. It is here that public policy and regulations can play a key role in the impact of technology on society.
Technology improvements may add either inequalities, or help us to resolve this issue at all. Education and assistance for the countries of the third world will proceed at an accelerated pace, helping overall human progress. Change “normal range” of human ability and intelligence can significantly change the movement toward positive trends.
Many also Express concerns about the negative applications of biological improvements on the part of governments, including eugenics and the creation of super-soldiers. Security issues always will be, especially in the early stages of experimentation with methods of improvements.
Brain-computer interfaces, for example, can have an impact on autonomy. This interface uses information extracted from the brain for stimulation or modification of systems to achieve certain goals. This part of the process can be enhanced through the introduction of artificial intelligence into the interface, which will give the opportunity to a third party potentially to manipulate the habits, emotions and desires through the manipulation of the interface.
The key to transcendence
It is important to discuss these risks without giving up technology, and gradually, minimising harm and optimising benefits.
Stephen Hawking notes that “with genetic engineering we can increase the complexity of our DNA and improve the human race”. The potential benefits of biological modifications are undoubtedly revolutionary. Doctors will have access to a powerful tool to combat the disease that will allow us to live longer and healthier. We could prolong his life, and to solve the problem of aging, making important step to becoming a space. We can start to modify the building blocks of the brain to become more intelligent species, capable of solving the great problem.
Possible evolution in the future will not be caused by natural processes. It will be due to human selection and non-random mutations. Human improvement will allow us to control the evolution and to shape the future of our species. Tell us in our telegram channel, how do you feel about this?
We can change our own biology. But is this society?
Ilya Hel