It’s become a trope in science fiction that humans will be left behind by strong AI, that we will be too slow and clumsy, in every way, to serve the new AI overlords in any way other than becoming AA batteries for their mobile shells. Brian Hanley, though, thinks otherwise. He believes humans will be at the center of a Web of augmented thought, and that’s the real singularity.
Hanley is a PhD microbiologist with another degree in computer science, and he writes for the Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technologies. Plainly, we are currently developing ways to help people with cognitive issues, such as Parkinson’s Disease, to use implanted prostheses to regain functionality, and this type of augmentation is the path towards a this human-centric singularity.
At some point there will be people without any disability who want to be augmented. Mark Zuckerberg has talked about something on the order of telepathy, but I think that we will go beyond that. Just as our cell phones evolved from simple voice devices to text, apps, and vide, with videophone arriving as an almost unnoticed afterthought, what is possible with direct brain interfaces has yet to be known.
It’s a fascinating read, and it’s one that posits a question we’ve yet to ponder with any depth: Would such technology be equitable? How will we ensure some people, the unaugmented, won’t be left behind?
Read the article: IEET.org