Transhumans: are machines the future of our species?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live the evolution of our own species? A natural selection, this biological process is what gave birth to all the species that walk our planet today. Normally, the process that transforms one species into another takes centuries, if not longer. But what if we could skip this biological process entirely? It may be possible soon, as technology significantly improves human life and behavior. The concept that allows us to skip the evolutionary process is transhumanism , a movement that aims to use advanced technologies to become transhumans and change humanity forever.

What are transhumans?

The concept of transhumanism affirms that we are not at the end of human development , but rather that we are in a relatively early phase of our development and evolution. The original definition of transhumanism was given by Max More in 1990 , who defines the concept as follows:

Transhumanism is a philosophy of life that seeks the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its current human form and human limitations through science and technology, guided by principles and values that promote life ”.

The concept of using technology / tools to modify or augment the human body is nothing new. In fact, the idea of taking humanity beyond its biological limitations has been around since humans developed the first tools and understood how to harness fire.

transhumanismo

Every evolution that the human race has gone through has made humans more intelligent; Intelligence is what has enabled the human race not only to survive, but also to thrive despite biological deficiencies.

From this originates the inspiration for transhumanism; The concept not only emphasizes the use of technology to impact the world around us, but also promotes the idea of replacing human biology with technology, making us transhumans .

The glasses have solved the problem of poor vision, the dental appliance allows us to have that perfect smile, etc .; in fact, there are many examples of how technology or sophisticated inventions have given us the opportunity to alter our bodies for the better .

Transhumanism wants to go a step further and replace all the existing senses in a human body with technology ; the idea is to allow our body to accomplish many things for which it was not created.

People who use this concept to alter or modify their body are known as transhumans ; an individual who chooses to upgrade his body with technology to correct a deficiency and achieve more of what he is biologically prepared for.

How will transhumans affect the future of humanity?

Now that you understand what transhumanism is and why it is becoming an increasingly popular term, you may want to know what impact this concept will have on the future of humanity . Here are 3 ways transhumans can potentially change humanity in the future.

Augmented humans

In the years to come, we will witness the birth of new human capacities and abilities that will make people stronger, smarter, and more resilient than they are today. From the increased use of implants such as brain microchips and insertable RFID chips (Radio-Frequency Identification) , we will witness a wave of technology that will enhance all human capabilities to become transhuman.

Although these technological developments are remarkable, the important ones that will take place in the coming years and that could change humanity as we know it are those that have to do with biological or human growth; This increase in body will be possible thanks to advances in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) technology and a deeper understanding of our genomes .

The combination of these two, along with CRISPR gene editing technology – which can potentially eliminate all inherited diseases – will help us select the smartest embryos .

With these body augmentation capabilities, humans will become stronger, smarter, and increasingly resilient . Furthermore, it will be possible to control and analyze the human body in the same way that we control and analyze connected machines today. Imagine the impact this will have on the job market and on how athletes are selected to participate in different sports competitions.

Faster and more transferable thought processes

Companies such as DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), Facebook and Neuralink have initiated projects for the development of implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMI-EEG) .

With the development of these devices, the way humans communicate and interact with each other, as well as with connected equipment, will be significantly altered. These mechanisms will allow transhumans to live a complete emotional and sensory experience with their family and friends .

Increased human productivity thanks to gamification and behavioral sciences

Today, some innovative companies are already putting systems in place that combine artificial intelligence, gamification, and behavioral science . The first example could be Uber, the shared ride service that operates in more than 750 cities around the world.

evolución tecnológica transhumanos

Uber’s behavioral science techniques include accepting the next ride as the default without disclosing how much that ride would earn, but still offering drivers an incentive to go beyond their goal and trigger the release of dopamine. .

On the other hand, the gamification techniques used by Uber include a graphical interface that gives the entire travel experience a quality similar to that of a video game , generating objectives that are always a little out of reach in order to promote search. keep going.

In addition to the above, other ways that transhumanism can change the future of humanity is by making humans more empathetic, allowing extreme customization, and significantly changing business practices .