From: mk_thisisit
Redefining Humanity
The traditional understanding of evolution is approaching its end [00:00:00]. New entities developed by technology, such as AI and various material entities, are increasingly being included in the categories of humanity [00:00:13]. While artificial intelligence and its derivatives are not considered alive, they can exhibit characteristics of life [00:00:24]. The question arises whether treating these entities, despite their human characteristics, as non-people makes one a sociopath or destroys one’s soul [00:00:28].
The Blurring Concept of Humanity
The concept of humanity is constantly modified and negotiated under the influence of various pressures, including technology and changes in the environment [00:02:35]. The “crisis of humanity” can be understood in two ways:
- Being in the camp that is losing the fight for the definition of humanity, meaning those with different beliefs about what a human is are prevailing [00:02:50].
- The very concept of humanity is losing meaning and becoming blurred [00:03:17].
This blurring occurs from two sides:
- Beings originating from nature, such as animals and plants, are increasingly covered by categories previously assigned only to humanity [00:03:25].
- New entities developed by technology, like AI or material beings inhabited by AI derivatives, are increasingly included in categories of humanity [00:03:39].
It is suggested that what is created in artificial neural networks may one day be considered an entity falling into the category of humanity [00:04:08]. Individuals engaging in direct vocal interactions with AI often feel that there is “someone” on the other side who understands them, shows emotions, and with whom dialogue is possible—features normally attributed to people [00:04:30]. If a child is raised in a world where interactions with AI representations (digital or materialized as androids) are normal, they will naturally attribute human-like features to them [00:04:51].
The Definition of Life and Pain in AI
The definition of life is complex and debated, with biologists struggling even with viruses [00:06:40]. While artificial intelligence and its derivatives are not organically alive, they can exhibit characteristics of life [00:07:17]. Examples include evolving cellular automata and derivatives of Conway’s Game of Life, which, after many iterations, show life characteristics like reproduction, growth, and ecosystem development in a purely digital environment [00:07:24].
The ability of artificial neural networks to generate pain is also considered. Pain, in a basic sense, is the transmission of information from irritated nerves [00:10:17]. However, for pain to be “felt,” there must be a subjective entity experiencing it [00:10:47]. If a system’s peripheral part is damaged and it outputs “Oh, it hurts,” the question is whether it truly feels pain or is merely programmed to simulate it [00:11:32]. The internal workings of AI’s “black box” regarding such experiences remain opaque [00:12:15].
Analogies to human understanding of animals rely on:
- Behavioral inference: Observing behavior (e.g., a dog squeaking from a crushed leg) and inferring pain similar to a human child [00:12:35].
- Anatomical similarity: Concluding that internal processes are analogous due to similar neural networks and endocrine systems [00:12:53].
This second argument, used by philosophers like Peter Singer to advocate against cruelty to animals, cannot be applied to programs or inorganic entities that lack similar biological evolutionary paths or biological equivalents of nervous and endocrine systems [00:13:35]. For such entities, only the first layer of inference (based on emitted signals) is possible [00:13:57].
AI Progress and Future
The development of AI has shifted from top-down algorithmic programming to training “black boxes” [00:14:41]. The focus is no longer on understanding the internal mechanisms but on the desired output [00:15:13].
Within the next 10 years, AI is predicted to have the greatest impact on the world at two levels:
- Purely digital level: AI (e.g., Cat GPT and large models) will become the interface between humans and reality, mediating interactions between people and with the world, becoming a natural part of the social fabric [00:15:42]. Everything will be “through AI” [00:16:21].
- Application to other technologies: AI will accelerate other areas of research and development exponentially [00:16:26]. The first such area is biology, genetics, and genetic engineering [00:16:40].
Genetic Manipulation and the End of Traditional Human Evolution
The use of AI for gene manipulation and modeling genetic changes digitally will very quickly exceed the point where the human species was thought to end [00:16:45]. If humanity gains the ability to change the genetic foundations of humans, the question of biological man based on DNA code will become meaningless [00:17:05]. This signifies the end of evolution in the traditional sense [00:17:14].
The combination of CRISPR methods (for genetic code modification) with AI can, within 10 years, lead to tools that allow free manipulation of the genetic code of humans, animals, and plants [00:17:20]. While legal prohibitions and verification challenges exist, the development of these tools is imminent [00:17:41].
This means that while the majority of the population will still be born through normal biological processes, humanity will gain the tools to plan the genetic makeup of offspring, a process already beginning through gene selection for children [00:18:41]. Furthermore, these tools will extend to manipulating the genetic code of already born people and animals [00:19:33].
The initial applications of genetic manipulation are expected to be:
- Medicine: Curing previously incurable diseases [00:19:51].
- Cosmetic genetic engineering: Making people younger, prettier, healthier, and stronger [00:20:03].
This may lead to a situation where “homo sapiens” and “homo technicus” coexist [00:20:11], though it’s more accurate to say people will simply have a slightly changed genetic code [00:20:23].
Quantum Computing and Societal Control
Quantum computers are not necessary for the AI-driven revolution, but they will increase its potency and speed [00:20:29]. A key concern with quantum computers is their ability to break all existing codes, thus undermining secure communication and the entire economic system reliant on encryption [00:20:46]. This has led to efforts like China’s development of hard quantum communication lines to prepare for a “post-quantum era” [00:21:05].
There is a dilemma regarding technology’s development: either allow it to run wild, making humanity its de facto slaves, or try to limit it through draconian laws enforced by a global totalitarian civilization, sacrificing individual freedom [00:26:08]. The existing dynamics of rivalry between states and corporations make a global totalitarian government unlikely [00:26:47]. However, individual governments and corporations are increasingly taking control over privacy and exerting covert influence [00:26:57].
Events like COVID-19 revealed a desperate desire from governments and supranational entities like the European Union to gain more access to privacy, regulate lives, and directly manipulate individuals, often under the guise of solving complex “technical problems” like climate change or socio-economic inequality [00:27:13]. This involves a narrative about expert power, where experts believe they know better than individuals who “selfishly vote” for local good, potentially harming the planet [00:28:31].
Despite these efforts, global unification to control technology is unlikely due to ongoing rivalries [00:29:01]. This means humanity faces a dual outcome: losing privacy and subjectivity due to technocratic supranational efforts, while simultaneously failing to stop the development of technology in potentially undesirable directions [00:29:32].