The Transhumanist Diaries I
“Your mind is a software. Program it. Your body is a shell. Change it. Death is a disease. Cure it. Extinction is approaching. Fight it.” — Eclipse Phase
Evolution and adaptation, the cornerstones of life on earth, have enabled mankind to survive multiple extinction events. Man has leveraged his intelligence to overcome challenges put forth by nature, both physical and predatory. From the invention of the chisel, the knife and the wheel, man has been augmenting himself to become stronger, faster and more intelligent.
As our intelligence grew so did our understanding of biology, giving rise to technological and medical advancements that extend human lifespan significantly. Our understanding of the slow, unobservable rate at which nature undertakes genetic modification has resulted in the creation of genomics, which has in turn improved diagnostic accuracy many times over.
Over the last three decades, mankind has achieved a transformative status with the journey being marked by highly disruptive advancements in the fields of neuroscience, nanotechnology and biotechnology. In the midst of all these enhancements came forth a revolutionary concept — Human Augmentation.
What is human augmentation?
Human augmentation falls under the umbrella of human enhancement technologies (HET). Popularly dubbed the Human 2.0, augmentation enables physical and cognitive improvements as an integral part of the human body. The augmentations range from prescription drugs that enhance cognitive and physical abilities to mechanical arms and limbs that can perform complex functions with near biological efficiency and in some cases even exceed them.
The range of augmentations have now evolved to cybernetic implants which can be ‘installed’ in human beings. These devices can interact with the human nervous system, interpret information through tangible signals and even perform day-to-day actions with higher efficiency. Human augmentation is the single definitive technology capable of turning humans into cybernetic organisms — cyborgs. However, questions remain on how far will society be prepared to accept augmented human beings.
Real Life Cyborgs
Neil Harbisson, a British-born avant-garde artist, achieved worldwide renown for officially being recognised as a cyborg by the British government. Born with a condition called achromatopsia — extreme colour blindness — the only way he could view the world was in black and white.
In 2004, Harbisson was equipped with a specialised cybernetic eye which renders preconceived colours as sounds on the musical scale — in essence allowing him to ‘hear’ colour. Harbisson claims that his adaptation to this implant has resulted in the development of a highly advanced perception of colours.
Similarly, Nigel Ackland, lost a part of his arm in an accident. However, his robotic prosthetic possesses incredible dexterity and range of movement. He can independently move each of his fingers and grip objects. The prosthetic boasts of a particularly alarming grip, dubbed as the ‘trigger grip.’
Although augmentations currently involve fairly complex surgical procedures, mechanical augmentations do have their advantages i.e. long life and replacements when necessary. Replacing human skeleton with metal and hydraulics provides enhanced strength and dexterity, not to mention potential additions and customisations such as Jeery Jalava’s USB drive on the index finger!
Future of augmentation
While augmentation is a great advancement in the fields of medicine and prosthetics, it isn’t difficult to imagine augmentations that allow us to surpass the capabilities of our natural bodies. This era of transhumanism will likely see biology being treated as something that can be altered according to lifestyle rather than health.
Technological intercession has been a highly disruptive medium for human accomplishment. In this sphere, human augmentation will become a major tipping factor for a justice system that supports equality.
Legal and Policy Issues
A potential legal issue that can have adverse impact for augmentation is the duplication and bootlegging industry. The influence of this industry on augmentation paints a rather grim picture. Current electronic bootlegs merely result in device failure. However, failure of a bootlegged augmentation interfacing with the nervous system looks very much like a Pandora’s Box of life-threatening consequences.
The idea of hacking augmentations may sound premature however, with network interfaces the potential vulnerability of these augmentations will need to be addressed.
Most augmentations are research oriented and commercialisation has not occurred yet. However, it is only a matter of time when business interests start to converge on this sphere. To prevent scientific abuse, technology regulation will become socially critical.
It is important to examine the supportive and discouraging arguments, hypotheses and concerns before deciding on a moral, ethical and legal framework for human augmentation. The lack of consensus over the issues that take precedence is a significant challenge. There is a great deal of pending research we need to undertake before understanding the full consequences of human augmentation. Designing a policy on augmentation may even require a worldwide response to curb counterfeiting and augmentation piracy.
The implications of human augmentation cannot be undermined, as both critics and advocates agree that it will change the fundamental parameters of human existence.
Augmentation is being driven by a wide array of innovations right from medication to cybernetic extensions. While there is extensive motivation to realise these dreams it is important to begin debating the numerous moral and social issues to better prepare ourselves for any necessary legislative interference and regulation.
