Imagine a world where death and the limits of the biological body are no longer an insurmountable barrier. A futuristic scenario that might not be that far away, second Clas Weber by TechXplore. As brain scanning technology improves, the possibility of recording neuronal interactions to create a brain simulation on a computer is no longer pure speculation. The concept of "mind uploading" could represent a revolution in our conception of life, identity and continuity of the self.
The promise of transhumanism
The idea of uploading the mind onto synthetic hardware has its roots in the transhumanist movement, which sees figures like Ray Kurzweil, Nick Bostrom e Randal Koene among his most ardent supporters.
The core of their vision is to transcend the human condition through scientific and technological advances, creating the possibility of a prolonged, perhaps even eternal, existence enhanced by computational capabilities.
Among the monumental challenges that transhumanism would like to overcome, that of simulating a human brain represents perhaps the most complex. Like the brain, which is the most complex structure in the known universe. 86 billion neurons e as many non-neuronal cells: an estimated number of neural connections reaching one million billion. Today we are able to mapping the brains of simple organisms like the fruit fly larva. Within ten years, plausibly, we will map the entire brain of a mouse.
How long will it take to map the human brain, a thousand times more complex? Ten thousand years? Absolutely not.
The advent of the artificial mind
Will a brain simulation lead to the creation of a conscious mind? The answer to this question depends on the relationship between mind and body. Contrary to the claims of the XNUMXth century philosopher René Descartes, most academic philosophers today believe that the mind is ultimately something physical. In summary, for many, our mind is our brain.
Will it be possible to duplicate and simulate it perfectly? Probably yes. But does simulating a person's mind mean making it survive their physical body? I rephrase: even if it were possible to simulate a human brain and this simulation generated a conscious mind, would it really be “us”? This question evokes an ancient philosophical conundrum: what makes us the same person from one day to the next?
Mind uploading, the duplication of consciousness: an existential paradox
What if, after the uploading process, your original biological form survives? A duplication of consciousness would occur, creating two “yous” – one in biological form and the other in uploaded form. However, you cannot literally split into two distinct people and remain identical to both at the same time. At most, only one of these can actually be “you”.
Unfortunately, the assumptions of artificial mind and survival cannot be conclusively tested on an empirical level – we would actually have to burden ourselves to find out. Mind Uploading would therefore always involve a huge leap of faith. Personally, I would only take this leap if I knew for sure that my biological “hardware” would now be doomed.
Mind Uploading in conclusion, between dream and reality
The journey from biology to computer science, while fascinating, is full of unanswered questions and formidable challenges. Technology may one day make mind uploading possible, but the philosophical and ethical implications of such a step remain fertile ground for debate and speculation.
We are facing one of the greatest challenges of our time, which could redefine the very meaning of existence and identity.
