RIS ID
92286
Abstract
Inviting artificial intelligence into our bodies has appeal - but it also carries certain risks. I have often wondered what it would be like to rid myself of a keyboard for data entry, and a computer screen for display. Some of my greatest moments of reflection are when I am in the car driving long distances, cooking in my kitchen, watching the kids play at the park, waiting for a doctor's appointment or on a plane thousands of metres above sea level. I have always been great at multitasking but at these times it is often not practical or convenient to be head down typing on a laptop, tablet or smartphone. It would be much easier if I could just make a mental note to record an idea and have it recorded, there and then. And who wouldn't want the ability to "jack into" all the world's knowledge sources in an instant via a network? Who wouldn't want instant access to their life-pages filled with all those memorable occasions? Or even the ability to slow down the process of ageing, as long as living longer equated to living with mind and body fully intact, as outlined in the video below. Transhumanists would have us believe that these things are not only possible but inevitable. In short: we Homo sapiens may dictate the next stage of our evolution through our use of technology.
Publication Details
Michael, K. (2012). People plus: is transhuman the next stage in our evolution?. The Conversation, (29 October),