In this blog post, we will look at how the development of cyborg engineering may lead to confusion in human identity and how it is related to the end of Homo sapiens.
We often refer to humans as “Homo sapiens.” Homo sapiens means “a person with reason” or “a person with wisdom.” If so, what is the most important characteristic of these Homo sapiens? If I had to choose one, I would say that identity is the most important characteristic. This is because, unlike other animals, Homo sapiens have the ability to think for themselves and their individual identities are formed from their own thoughts. Let’s take a look at how cyborg engineering, one of the recent attempts to replace natural selection with intelligent design, will affect human identity.
First of all, in cyborg engineering, a “cyborg” refers to a being that is a combination of a living and an inanimate object. For example, a human with a bionic arm or leg can be called a cyborg. However, it is difficult to conclude that people who use various devices such as computers and TVs in their daily lives are non-cyborgic beings. This is because cell phones are considered almost like a part of the body for many people. We are currently teetering on the edge of becoming true cyborgs, or bionic beings. If we cross this line and accept inorganic elements as part of our body, humans will change in every aspect of our being.
So, could cyborg engineering bring about the end of Homo sapiens? I think it is quite possible. Of course, cyborg engineering does not only have negative effects on humans. As mentioned earlier, bionic arms and legs can be a driving force for people who have lost a part of their body due to an accident. In fact, although a bionic arm can only do limited things compared to a biological arm, it is advanced enough to interpret the nerve signals from the brain as electrical commands and operate. In short, this has made possible a bionic arm that works only with thoughts.
However, cyborg engineering is like a double-edged sword. The development of cyborg engineering has positive effects, but it also has negative effects that are no less significant. I believe that this negative phenomenon could lead to the end of Homo sapiens. The apocalypse I am talking about here is not about being conquered by robots, as in the movie I, Robot. In other words, it is not about a scenario in which the development of cyborg engineering leads to the development of robotics, and intelligent robots dominate humans, causing the extinction of Homo sapiens. The reason for the apocalypse, in my opinion, is none other than the loss of identity.
When cyborg engineering advances, it is easy to think of prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, etc. However, a project is currently underway in one field of cyborg engineering to connect computers and brains. If the connection between the computer and the brain is successful, it will have a significant impact on human identity. Let’s take a closer look at why. If a computer is connected to a brain, it means that all the information stored in the individual’s brain can be transferred to the computer. If the brains of many people are connected to a computer and the information in their brains is stored in the computer, a kind of network will be created that allows people to see the memories and thoughts of others, just like the Internet. If this network is created, one cyborg will be able to search the brain information of another cyborg and accept the content as if it were its own. In this process, confusion will begin to arise in one’s personal identity, including one’s memories, characteristics, personality, and preferences, and the boundary between oneself and others will become blurred. A human being who has lost his or her identity will eventually fail to understand oneself, and normal thinking will become difficult in the confusion, and even reason and intelligence will be lost.
As such, it is very dangerous to indiscriminately accept the memories of others through the Internet of the brain. Even now, we are living in an endless flood of information on the Internet. This can literally be called an “information flood.” Even now, when the Internet of the brain has not yet developed, there are many people who are losing their identity in this flood of information. At first, people interpret what they read by using their imagination, but they often lose their own thoughts as they are influenced by the thoughts of others. Of course, not everyone loses their identity, but even simply reading and encountering text has a huge impact, so what about the impact of directly encountering the memories of others? It will have an impact that is incomparable to simply reading text.
Although the Internet of the brain has not yet been developed, as a human being and a Homo sapiens, we must strive to maintain our own identity without losing our own thoughts in the sea of information that is pouring in.
