Transhumanism - The Future of Mankind?

[Catoptric]

Post anything related to the subject.

Will transhumanism converge with AI; will this create a society of implied eugenics, for those without the option/benefit of obtaining the technology? Will it primarily involved genetic alterations?

Is our society ready; will transhumanism require an evolved society for it to manifest? Will this require radical events to control how we interact and think, or much as any social paradigm will those able to obtain assisted evolution naturally isolate themselves by social circumstances?

How will the outcasts of society feel if they are gradually eliminated from this social hierarchy?

This goes in tandem with the idea of a necessary transition:


What I have opposed to the idea, is that it will likely create a narcissistic elite that is immune to aging. . .

[Catoptric]

@Buddha

Kindly summarize the concept. I do not have 4 hours to spare to watch the movies.

The videos are hardly necessary and mostly just discuss their experience with cryonics potential, and barely even touch the actual transhumanism concept; mainly dealing with life extension for most.

What is predominantly the main interest here is: what is this technology going to be used for and will it only further separate the "Haves" from the "Have-Nots?"

I recommend checking out some H+ (Human+) Articles
-Restoring Active Memory Replay — DARPA Seeks Super Learning and Enhanced Memory Technologies
-The Transhuman Age is Here (But Not Quite Yet) — CRISPR/Cas9 Used to Modify Human Embryos
-Reversal of Informational Entropy and the Acquisition of Germ-like Immortality by Somatic Cells

[Starjots]

Analogy



I aspire to be that dog at 3:13

[Architect]

Will transhumanism converge with AI

Better said, Human will converge with Machines. It's already happening. I recommend you read Natural Born Cyborg rather than the more far out things like you post. This book makes a case that we are the only animal that actively augments ourself with technology. It's true too, look at how we all walk around with cell phones. The reason is because it's extremely useful. We hold them in our hands, but that's one step away from having it implanted in your body.

We're well along the path of human-machine integration, the book is a primer.

[Buddha]

Yeah. We use lots of tools to compensate for our shortcomings. That's not going to stop. We seem to be in the process of making computing technology more accessibly to the general public. That's a pretty new field. We only really began exploring it after the iPhone came on the market. There's probably a whole lot of growth potential there.

[Fonhgrit Suttvrel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFDOh8Wfrk4 - nietzsche
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1lqFXHvqI - creating new senses for man

[MarkovChain]

Transhumanism is sort of a slippery slope, especially when it gets to the topic of transferring human consciousness into a computer. Because that brings up the unpleasant topic of a human soul and if it exists or not, and if that is actually "you" in the machine or just a "ghost".

I'm all for human augmentations, and cyborgs, but I draw the line at mind uploading because of the philosophical issues.

[P-O]

Transhumanism is sort of a slippery slope, especially when it gets to the topic of transferring human consciousness into a computer. Because that brings up the unpleasant topic of a human soul and if it exists or not, and if that is actually "you" in the machine or just a "ghost".

I'm all for human augmentations, and cyborgs, but I draw the line at mind uploading because of the philosophical issues.

If you ask me, these objections are nonsense.

All the arguments that the machine isn't conscious would also apply to the human that the machine came from. Is it "you" in the body? Or a ghost? Are you the "you" that you were 10 seconds ago or are you just being fooled by your memories? Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether it's you or it isn't because we still call it "you".

The idea of souls transferring to machines and the "true you" being here or there is an artifact of a failed theory of mind.... as well as an overactive self preservation instinct. Everybody understands the idea that once my body dies, I'm dead. It's a deep psychological fear around which we rationalize a bunch of silly arguments.

[Buddha]

Transhumanism is sort of a slippery slope, especially when it gets to the topic of transferring human consciousness into a computer. Because that brings up the unpleasant topic of a human soul and if it exists or not, and if that is actually "you" in the machine or just a "ghost".

I'm all for human augmentations, and cyborgs, but I draw the line at mind uploading because of the philosophical issues.

What if your new robot body looks the same as your old one and you still get to experience all the same sensations. (They're virtual but your mind isn't capable of telling the difference). On top of losing nothing you get an "orgasm" button that you can press as often as you like. All your friends have bought into the program and are telling you that it is so much better than they ever could have imagined. On top of that it's free and you'll get to live forever.

[Aurast]

The Singularity will immediately make all humans superfluous, or even burdensome, to almost all aspects of the continued functioning of society. They will be increasingly marginalized until enough time has passed for the elites running the show to see them as little more than vermin, then they will be exterminated. Even before the Singularity, if we allow fully autonomous robotic soldiers to be developed and deployed on a large scale, then we have sealed our fate in this respect. You don't have to pay robots to keep them loyal to you.

You would have to hope that either the elites are very charitable (don't get your hopes up), or that the Singularity eliminates all scarcity and other population-related problems extremely quickly. Even then you would have to hope that the elites are at least slightly benign.

There's also the (probably somewhat overblown IMO) possibility of the machines themselves wiping everyone out.

If humans and machines merge together I expect they would eventually find cheaper and/or better mechanical replacements for all of their biological organs, and would gradually slippery-slope their way to having no feelings or emotions. In the end there would only be machines.

I expect intelligence-enhancing augmentations will be available and the transhumanist era will begin in earnest in 25-30 years. Without them, I think the problem of developing a machine that's generally more intelligent than a human would turn out to be technically intractable. With them, perhaps not. I can imagine the Singularity beginning between 2070-2080. I can also imagine our magician's hat of other existential threats delaying it for thousands of years if not forever.