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AI: the transhumanist temptation
AI: the transhumanist temptationSott: Sign of The Times - Feb 26, 2024
What we call artificial intelligence (AI) is only just beginning to invade our working world, but also all other areas of our daily life.
We are still only talking about increasingly sophisticated voice programs - that is, text robots like ChatGPT or Amazon's "Alexa" - and image generators like Image Creator, Midjourney or Leonardo. But as development is exponential in the digital age, AI will become more and more powerful in the near future, will perform more and more tasks previously reserved for human intelligence and will come even closer to us , in the literal sense of the term. Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, and a host of "smart" home appliances tell us which way to go. We surround ourselves with an increasingly dense cocoon of digital data vampires who do nothing less than take over our identity.
We must not forget that all this has nothing to do with "intelligence", that is, the understanding of complex relationships. In reality, these are just complex computational processes (algorithms) that are based on the probability with which, for example, a given word is followed by another in the text stream, or with which certain structural elements are associated with each other in the structure of graphics or images. The AI "learns" these mathematical probabilities as it optimizes, to finally provide, after an infinite number of hours of work, results which must come as close as possible to the operations of the human brain. i.e. thought. We can expect drastic performance improvements in this area in the future.
Another important aspect, which is easily lost sight of, is that all small "bots", whether text, dialogue or graphics programs, are part of the transhumanist agenda. Ultimately, it's about making the human brain "readable" for computers and being able to transfer data in both directions - from the brain to the computer (or to storage media), but also from the computer to the brain, for example by means of an implanted chip. Image and text files calculated at great expense could one day become the decisive intermediate support. The final goal is - in addition to the possibility of total control of humanity - the possibility of memorizing human consciousness, in order to make it independent of its physical existence and ultimately immortal. Hollywood has been talking about it for many years, and speakers such as Israeli journalist Yuval Harari ("Homo Deus", 2017), who is also a popular guest at Klaus Schwab's World Economic Forum, are making unequivocal statements about it.
One of the most prominent researchers in the search for “human-machine interface” is Elon Musk. Since 2017, he has already been studying, under the aegis of a company specially created for this purpose, Neuralink, the possibilities of connecting the human brain to computers. It is a “direct interface with the cerebral cortex”. In 2020, in the middle of the Corona year, Musk presented the prototype of his brain chip to the public: eight millimeters thick, 23 millimeters in diameter.
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Musk's company Neuralink implanted the first implant in the human brain
Musk's company Neuralink implanted the first implant in the human brainInternational Network - Feb 01, 2024
American entrepreneur Elon Musk's neurotechnology company, Neuralink, has implanted an implant in the human brain for the first time.
“The first human received a Neuralink implant yesterday and is recovering well,” Elon Musk posted on X.
“The first results show promising detection of neuronal spikes,” he adds.
“Our mission: Create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those whose medical needs are not met today and unleash the human potential of tomorrow,” announces the Neuralink website.
“Our brain-computer interface is fully implantable, aesthetically invisible and designed to allow you to control a computer or mobile device wherever you go,” it says.
The entrepreneur added that Neuralink's first product is called Telepathy. This will allow a person to control their phone and computer through the power of thought. “The first users will be people who have lost control of their limbs,” Elon Musk said.
Neuralink is recruiting candidates: “If you would like to know if you might be eligible for current and/or future Neuralink clinical trials, consider joining our patient registry.”
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Thousands of people waiting to try Elon Musk's Neuralink
Thousands of people waiting to try Elon Musk's NeuralinkEel under the Rock - Nov 16, 2023
Thousands of people have reportedly expressed interest in participating in FDA-approved human trials of the brain-computer interface developed by Elon Musk's Neuralink.
A computer chip will be installed in the brains of participants, who can only hope for better results than Musk's test monkeys, many of whom met a grisly fate.
Business Insider reports that Neuralink, the brain-computer interface startup co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, has seen skyrocketing public interest in its upcoming human trials. A recent report says thousands of people have lined up to take part in the trials, which involve the implantation of a brain chip, referred to by Musk as “the Fitbit in your skull”. This development follows the FDA's authorization for Neuralink to begin human trials, after initially rejecting its offer for safety reasons.
Neuralink's ambitious project aims to create a symbiosis between man and machine, enabling direct communication and control through thought. While the initial goal is to help people with neurological conditions, such as those suffering from paralysis due to spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the long-term view extends to broader applications, such as sending messages or playing games with your mind alone.
The process includes a craniectomy – the removal of part of the skull – followed by insertion of the brain chip and an ultrafine array of around 64 wires by a robot. These wires, thinner than a lock of hair, would then be connected to the brain. The chip, designed to be placed behind the ear, would replace the part of the skull removed during surgery.
Despite the keen interest it arouses, Neuralink has not yet implanted its device in a human being. The company has set a goal of operating on 11 people next year and more than 22 by 000. Before carrying out human trials, Neuralink carried out implantation operations on animal testing subjects, including pigs and monkeys, using the robot designed for this procedure. Elon Musk has pushed for the robot to operate faster and for operations to be carried out without human assistance, highlighting the urgency of progress in this area.
