Technological Singularity and Transhumanism Versus The Matrix The movie “ The Matrix,” depicts a futuristic era in which computer based artificial super intelligence has significantly exceeded the potentials of human brain power. Bringing us into a world that is overrun by artificially intelligent computer based machines. Many of us may believe that the idea of such an event can only exist within a Sci-Fi film. However, the majority of also may not know about long lived scientific theories projecting such futuristic capabilities in the near mid-21st century. It is said in the article, “ Doomsday scenarios: How the world may go on without us,” that our computing technology doubles approximately every 18 months and has been doing so for the past few decades. With this exponentially increasing power of computer based technology, theories in technological singularity state possibilities in building machines with artificially super intelligent computing capabilities. Bringing with them abilities in problem solving and innovation far greater than what humanity is currently capable of.
These machines may then have the ability to create machines with greater capabilities with even more powerful computing powers, leading to a cycle of self-evolving technological machines. A species of their own that in “ The Matrix,” have been envisioned with the power to take over the world. However, According to the article, “ Transhumanism and the Wisdom of Old Genes is Neurotechnology as Source of Future Happiness,” it is said that if there is one thing we can learn from the past is that the future has often been different than predicted and often more outrageous. Although, this technology summons potential dangers to humanity in creating a new alpha species, our goals are to directly enhance human life rather than create supporting robotic creatures. With this being said, it is more so projected that futuristic computer based technology will evolve the human race into hybrid technological beings. Hit Sci-Fi film, “ The Matrix,” presents insight on enhanced methods of learning future technology may possibly bring. In the movie, we see that people have the ability to upload information into their brains through a port in the back of their head.
Giving them the ability to instantly obtain knowledge and/or learn any desired skills. Shockingly, modern day neurotechnology presents us with similar capabilities. In the article, “ Transhumanism and the Wisdom of Old Genes is Neurotechnology as Source of Future Happiness,” it is stated that, “ At the moment it is possible to a certain extent to build chips into the brain. Giving a rudimentary form of hearing for people who are deaf, some vision for people who are blind and a certain amount of movement for people who are paralyzed” (Bergsma). Although this doesn’t show the ability to program within our brainly functions as seen in “ The Matrix,” a possible interconnection between our brain and computer based hardware is perceived possible. And, with our exponentially growing computing power, possible assumptions can be brought to reality that in the near future higher forms of programming within the human brain may be possible. Our body’s acceptance of computer based technology can imply that human bodily processes may be more machine-like than yet known.
After all, if we look at human biology, all processes and functions of the human body are just a result of multiple ongoing chemical and hormonal reactions just as computer based programs react to sets of codes. We now see the potentials of the human mind and its presentation of superhuman like qualities. There is no doubt our abilities to think, learn, and innovate have ever shown signs of limitation. On the other hand, in comparison to our minds our physical bodies have many limitations, ultimately preventing us from truly being superhuman. However, the future may present solution to our biologically attained deficit. According to the article, “ Transhumanism and the Wisdom of Old Genes is Neurotechnology as Source of Future Happiness,” in the near future, “ We can expect DNA-manipulations, man machine combinations, nanotechnology, organ replacement and much more” (Bergsma).
With robotic like prosthetic limbs that can be controlled with our minds, signs of such technology is already present in our current day lives. Capabilities in future technology will allow us to take architecture of the human body to whole new level. The ability to replace our organs and limbs with fully functional machine-like replicas may be the cure to what can be seen as our biological deficiencies.
Diseases and viruses such as HIV and various cancers will no longer be a threat. Immortality or prolonged life will be available and cyborg like strengths will be achievable to all who desire it. Supporting this claim, the article, “ Doomsday Scenarios: How the world may go on without us,” xplains that, “ as computing power continues to obey Moore’s Law and doubles approximately every 18 months,… it could result in bionically and genetically enhanced super beings” (Eckersley), and ultimately bring realism to a superhuman phenomenon. Such abilities in psychological manipulation and biological modification in the near future may present a societal fear of the demise of the human race. However, there is sufficient reason to believe this is most likely not the case.
“ The Matrix” showed us a world that was overrun by overpowering artificially intelligent machines. These machines may have developed a higher form of intelligence than the human race, but only in the form of scientific, computational, and statistical based means. They did not have the ability to think freely and understand.
Ultimately, their “ life” was just symbolic to the human’s intent for their creation. They were created to solve problems and clearly showed mastery in their skills. When they were no longer needed and the humans tried to eliminate them, the problem of survival was bestowed upon them. So, their so called “ adaptation” was just a problem solving reaction. Hence, they did what they were made to do. The humans simply did not realize they brought their own demise upon themselves. Although the realistic usage of computer based technology is not to create a separate species to commence in problem solving, the story does imply truth to the fact that technology is dependent on the human race.
And, without any form of free thinking there are no problems to question and no problems to solve. And the fact that we are infusing this kind of power into ourselves makes us less susceptible to a “ Matrix-Like” future. Because by enhancing our scientific, computational, and statistical functions to the point of no error, our free-will based intelligence will just lead us on a path to making a supernatural hybrid human-machine being incapable of making any errors, let alone ones that put at risk its own kind for potential abolishment.
In conclusion, the human race will not be exterminated by the drastic growth surge in our computer based technological innovations. Every depicted downfall of humanity by futuristic technological means has been in relation to a dominant artificially intelligent robotic species. Because we are not primarily directing our computer based technological powers in these sorts of developments, but rather aiming for solutions to humanoid problems, a robotic revolution is not likely. However, enhancing our biological and psychological traits is projected to evolve our species in to hybrid technological superhuman like being.