Transhumanist advocates are those who believe that the merging of humanity with technology is inevitable and necessary. Some believe that technology is simply a means to improve the human condition, while others believe that the rapid development of technology will force humanity to transform itself to compete or coexist with the inevitable emergence of artificial intelligence. Transhumanists believe that humanity's current state is significantly inferior to the capabilities of emerging AI systems, and argue that merging with technology will elevate our capabilities to “superhuman” levels, forever changing the way we interact with our bodies and the world, ushering in a “posthumanist” era.
One such transhumanist is Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, who has long supported and promoted the concept of the “singularity,” a point in the future when human biology and robotic technology merge and human consciousness is “uploaded” into digital systems.
Kurzweil believes that this transition is already happening and that soon humans and machines will be indistinguishable, and he's probably right. Whether this is a prediction or a plan remains to be seen, but companies like Google would greatly benefit from a transhumanist world in which users are not just engaged with media, but actually uploaded into and integrated into it.
Every week there are more articles in the mainstream media that very subtly push the transhumanist agenda. Bionic Arm To Bionic EyeHumans are now being adapted to or even merged with technology.
It's hard to argue that technology that gives the blind sight would have any negative impact on society, just as it's hard to argue with Kurzweil's assertion that artificial intelligence will one day overtake humanity. It's also possible that our constant striving to improve ourselves will one day be our downfall.
We must remember that the road to hell, or in this case, extinction, is paved with good intentions. It may seem miraculous when the efforts of modern science enable the lame to walk and the blind to see, but when we begin to allow such people to excel their neighbors and coworkers, we should carefully ask where such a road will lead us.
Interestingly, the caption for the “bionic eye” story above reads, “When they “excited” me… it was without a doubt the most breathtaking experience.” While this was certainly the case, one must wonder: are those who can be excited the same people who cannot be excited? And if an item, say a heart, is excited by its owner because the user has defaulted on payments, would that be classified as murder or manslaughter?
What would become of us if corporations owned our limbs? If we are economic slaves to debt today, will we become organ slaves tomorrow?Report Male“Not only does this highlight a possible problem in the future, it also helps orient us to the problem, planting the concept in our psyches and preparing us for the inevitable reality that one day corporations will own our bodies.”
Who would object to such a thing? Who would refuse a terminally ill patient who was offered a life-saving transplant by a private company in exchange for a huge sum of money that he would have to spend most or all of the rest of his life paying off? Similarly, some people willingly replace their limbs or organs with bionic body parts in the hope of gaining superhuman powers, without any regard for the interests of the companies that would own those organs or limbs and ultimately become the owners of the people who would use them. Because once a natural limb or organ has been replaced, refusing the owner's demands means losing the organ or limb, or worse, dying.
The recent spate of transhumanist films coming out of Hollywood furthers this agenda by encouraging society to accept the reality that one day humans and machines will be indistinguishable.
Whether you agree or disagree doesn't matter: they're packaged in clever, engaging and entertaining ways to prepare us for the future, gently showcasing a future society in which we will be integrated and ultimately dominated. Technology obsession.
Films are by no means the only tool to desensitize us to transhumanism. There are many articles in the mainstream media that very subtly push this agenda and showcase advanced technologies that help the disabled community (who could argue against such an effort?). Other articles are presented in a way that appeals to younger audiences and often promote technologies that help us in our daily lives by recording our data, monitoring us, or helping us communicate. These gadgets, such as Bluetooth hands-free sets, are a step towards normalizing the integration of man and machine. They have taken us one step closer from something outside the body to something inside the body. They are no longer on our desks or in our pockets, but permanently fixed to our bodies.
Transhumanism is often aimed at the younger “future” generations who have grown up with the recent technological explosion and are likely to be part of the world of the future.Toilet article' In many recent newspapers you will notice numerous pictures illustrating how young people should wear gadgets, even though such products are supposed to be aimed at older people and those suffering from incontinence.
In a more serious transhumanist effort, engineers at Texas A&M University Cyborg Cockroach Electrodes were implanted in the nervous system to allow engineers to control movement. A very similar article was published in the same newspaper about a year and a half ago, and an app was developed. Cockroach Extermination.
Efforts like this should sound alarm bells. The companies developing this kind of technology are the very biotech companies that will implant and ultimately own body parts into our bodies. If you think controlling cockroaches is a long way from controlling humans, you might take comfort in knowing that: Google has been developing similar technology for years..
Readers will also be aware that Second Sight, the developer of the Argus II system and the developer of the “bionic eye,” is already working on a new system that implants electrodes in the brain to help blind people see. Second Sight is a presumably harmless company, but it remains to be seen to what extent this kind of technology and research will be adopted by other organizations.
Technology is developing rapidly, and while it can enrich life and help humanity achieve the impossible, we must be careful that striving for the impossible does not lead to our downfall. Similarly, as we strive for ever greater profits and a better quality of life, our natural world is being consumed by the rise of large private corporations through our support. Therefore, in that support, we must ensure that we do not become consumed by such corporations, or we will become a commodity.
Part II is here.
