Mind uploading

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Mind uploading (also known as "mind copying" or "mind transfer" ) describes a hypothetical process of transferring mental content to an external medium. The media used simulate functions of the brain , whereby they should achieve a "virtual consciousness".

Methods

The human brain consists of around 100 billion nerve cells that can communicate with one another through synapses . According to the established neuroscientific consensus, consciousness is an emergent property of the brain in the course of information processes. Important functions of the mind such as learning, remembering and thinking are based on purely physical and electronic processes in the brain that are regulated by valid laws. The concept of consciousness transfer is based on a mechanistic view of the mind, whereby the process of "mind uploading" can be divided into three different methods:

  1. The first is the replacement or bridging of parts of the brain. The idea behind this is that the human brain is represented by neuroprostheses . This method has already been intensively researched and is used occasionally. The input and output channels of the nervous system are replaced in order to enable normal functioning of the sensory organs and extremities.
  2. In the second method is a method by means of a scans a reconstruction performs. Theoretical approach is that a copy or a perfect model of the brain is made and transferred to another medium (“whole brain simulation”).
  3. The third method deals with the reproduction of behavioral patterns . In doing so, information on personal behavior is collected. On this basis, an attempt is made to “create” people in another medium.

Theoretical implications

immortality

With the possibility of outsourcing brain functions, a person's consciousness and spirit would no longer be bound to the body and its restrictions. All information could be stored on different digital media. At the same time, the risk of information loss would be eliminated. The idea of ​​using “mind uploading” to make people immortal can be traced back to George M. Martin (1971).

Economy and population

With sufficient computing power, brains could also be duplicated. This could lead to an exponential population growth if the duplicated brains were to be viewed as separate individuals. As a result of this growth, the economy could also grow, although the consequences ( superorganism etc.) cannot currently be assessed.

intelligence

Faster and computer-based brains would not automatically be better or more intelligent after “mind uploading”. Due to the requirements for the copying process, the intelligence of the original brain would be transmitted as precisely as possible. This could lead to “weak superintelligences” in which the performance of the simulated brain would theoretically be greater than the copied information. With the help of programs that enable the compression of the data and an improvement in performance, the weaker brains could be turned into “strong superintelligence” brains, which would lead to an increase in average intelligence.

communication

Interactions and communication with people are currently limited by the possibilities of speech, facial expressions and gestures. The outsourcing of the brain could make it possible to understand cognitive processes more precisely, which could make a more diverse exchange of ideas and emotions possible than before. Normal speaking would possibly become less important due to this new way of exchanging information.

research

In the past twenty years, various projects with the aim of precisely simulating a brain or part of it have been carried out in the field of mind uploading :

Science fiction

literature

Movies

Series

comics

Video games

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernd Vowinkel : Machines with Consciousness - Where Does Artificial Intelligence Lead? . In: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co . 2006.
  2. ↑ Christof Koch: Can machines be conscious? . In: IEEE Spectrum . 2008.
  3. ^ Sim Bamford: Framework For Approaches To Transfer Of A Mind's Substrate . In: Complex Systems Modeling Group, Istituto Superiore di Sanità . 2012.
  4. ↑ Klaus Mathwig: Mind Uploading - New Substrates for the Human Mind? . In: Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics Halle . September.
  5. ^ GM Martin: Brief proposal on immortality: an interim solution. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine . 1971.
  6. ^ Carl Shulman - Whole Brain Emulation and the Evolution of Superorganisms , 2010. In: The Singularity Institute, Journal, San Francisco
  7. ^ Robin Hanson - Economics of the Singularity , 2008. In: IEEE Spectrum, pp. 45-50. ISSN | 0018-9235
  8. ↑ a b Kaj Sotala: Advantages of Artificial Intelligences, Uploads, and Digital Minds . In: University of Helsinki, MIRI Research Associate . 2012.