Cybertechnologies: from unmanned killing machines to ‘posthuman’ and back

"No more gods, no more faith, no more timid holding back. Let us blast out of our old forms, our ignorance, our weakness, and our mortality. The future belongs to posthumanity." — Max More, On becoming posthuman.

There are two notable trends the humanity is expected to follow in the future. The first way is to transform human nature by technological means enhancing human’s intellectual, physical, and psychological abilities – so-called Transhunanism movement. We can meet both camps, which keep positive view of the recently emerged ideology. There are such futurologists, scientists, and activists like Max More or the founders of non-profit international organization World Transhumanist Association Nick Bostrom and David Pearce.

You can find a report below [http://transhumanism.org/resources/survey2005.pdf] that reflects basic assumptions and beliefs of Transhumanist movement – for instance, they actively call public to stake the future of the humanity on science and modification of human being’s abilities by all means.

Slightly opposite view is supported by the highly respected politologist Francis Fukuyama who thinks that transhumanism is “nothing more than science fiction taken too seriously.”

[See more at: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2004/09/01/spreading_democracy #sthash.9nVrWILJ.dpuf]

The second general trend, which is perceived more neutral without wide public debates, is creating artificial intelligence, i.e. robots, cyborgs, unmanned machines. One of the activists who projects and predicts global robotization is MIT professor Rodney Brooks. He belongs to the group of scientists who produce robots for peaceful aims:  welding, riveting, delivering interoffice mail. But the paramount goal for these people is to build an cyberorganism which can learn on his own, by trial and error – as humans do. Moreover, Mr. Brooks denies any treats, (loosing jobs, anti-human actions of robots) which can be brought by large-scale introduction of robotic technologies in our everyday life.

At the very same time, not long ago we were demonstrated what are unmanned killing machines capable of under control of human. Launching Drones by the USA into warfare in Pakistan has led to up to 3000 unnecessary casualties among civilians in 2013. Drones are operated from land-on centers from distant areas which provides guaranteed protection to pilots. Thus, we can see that robots are controlled and operated by humans and their contribution is still defined by dominating human creatures and it will be long time before the dream of Rodney Brooks comes true.

It is up to humanity to choose what is the right thing to rely upon. Science hasn't said its word yet. And I tend to believe that the brightest minds of humankind wouldn't be stopped by imaginary ethics of the world where the most people live in poverty, kill each other for profit, and believe in fake celestial creatures.